


Love Story

by Mystic_Mermaid



Category: Princess Debut
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on LiveJournal, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-06 15:57:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3140126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystic_Mermaid/pseuds/Mystic_Mermaid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pairing: Main Character and Cesar. My adaptation of the thirty wonderful days the ordinary girl spends when she trades places with the Princess. When Elizabeth meets Cesar, will it be true love, or just true heartache?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. ~One Day, After Class~

**Author's Note:**

> **  
> **  
> Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Here is the first chapter of my story! I did my best, and tried to adapt the story with my own style. I gave "Sabrina" my name, Elizabeth, when I was playing the game, hence why the main character is named Elizabeth. Some chapters, like this one, are going to be really long, and others are going to be short.
> 
> After long deliberation, I decided to change this story a wee bit to make Elizabeth and the rest of the characters be college-age. Partially it’s because I just recently graduated college myself, and  also, at the end of the game the main character and her chosen prince get engaged, so I wanted the characters to be older to be a bit older when making these life-changing decisions. Also, the situations and backstory for some of the characters make more sense if they are not _quite_ as young. Gives a bit more years leeway, lol. It's a very minor change overall. So anyways, here is the re-vamped first chapter, hope you like! Please read and review!

I slung my backpack over one shoulder as I made my way through the crowded corridor of Jones Hall, towards the main exit. I had just gotten out of my last class for the week. As it was 3:30 on a Friday, pretty much every other class in this building was getting out at the same time, so it was a bit hard maneuvering through the noisy throng of college students. When the crowd started to thin, spilling out onto the wide stone steps, I heaved a sigh and grinned. “TGIF!” I muttered under my breath, glad that it was finally Friday and I had nothing but a glorious weekend stretched out before me. Well, except for the mountain of reading and homework, but I tried not to think about that, at least for the moment. I perched on the ledge that lined the stairs, waiting for my best friend, Catherine, to join me. I looked out at the courtyard before me, with the fountain surrounded by flowers directly in front of me. I sighed, content.

“Why are you sighing, Elizabeth?”

I turned and saw Carlos standing behind me. He flashed a smile. “Beautiful girls shouldn’t waste a lovely fall day sighing like that.”

I cocked my eyebrow, smiling slightly. I was used to Carlos flirting with me, as he did with several other girls at school. He had a reputation for being one of the big flirts on campus. A senior, like me, Carlos was in a couple of my core classes. I’d known him since we were freshman, and while he was nice, not to mention good-looking, I just could never take him seriously.

“Won’t you come away with me?” He asked in a silky voice, putting a hand to my shoulder. “Together, we shall dance the waltz of love!”

I shook my head and tried not to laugh. _What kind of guy says stuff like that?_ “Um, gee, Carlos, sounds like fun,” I began, smiling placatingly as I wriggled out of his reach, “But I actually have other plans.” Seeing a familiar figure walking towards us, I smiled with relief. “Here she comes now. Hey, Catherine!” I called.

Catherine broke into a jog to join us and smiled. “Elizabeth! Sorry if I’m late! Oh, hey Carlos, how are you?”

Carlos flashed a smile at Catherine. “Doing well, and you?”

“I’m great.”

“Good.” Carlos nodded, then glanced at me, looking a bit forlorn. “Well, I won’t keep you two. Have a nice weekend!” He turned and walked off, thankfully in the opposite direction.

I sighed and closed my eyes for a second, unable to contain my surprised giggle. Thankfully Carlos was out of earshot.

Catherine looked at me curiously. “What? What happened?”

I shook my head with a smile. “Oh, you know, just Carlos. His pick-up lines are so...original. Wanna hear what he said to me this time?”

When I repeated Carlos’ words, Catherine’s eyes widened as she burst out laughing. “Ok, you have to admit, that’s pretty great. Why didn’t you say yes?”

I raised my eyebrows in surprise and snorted. I started to walk towards the staircase that led out of the courtyard, heading towards the campus coffee shop, where we had planned to go after we got out of class. “Because,” I answered, not sure at all if Catherine was serious, “We already had made plans. Besides, he wasn’t actually asking me out.”

Catherine frowned. “It sounded like it to me. I mean, yeah, he didn’t specifically ask you to grab coffee or see a movie with him, but why would he ask something so romantic like that if that wasn’t what he meant?”

Her words struck a cord in me, but I shook my head fervently. “No, he doesn’t actually _like_ me. He flirts with every girl.”

“Not with me.”

My steps faltered. I supposed this was true; Carlos had never flirted with Catherine, even though he saw her plenty of times, even had a class with her. This was a small school; why did the world’s biggest flirt choose to hit on me, but not my best friend? Catherine was super pretty, with long aqua hair and sparkling brown eyes. I shrugged off the explanation that he actually _liked_ me. That was...ridiculous. As nice as it would be to have a boyfriend...Carlos? _No, that would just not happen_.

I quickly changed the subject, chatting about our plans for the weekend. My head soon began to hurt, however, as I thought of all the upcoming assignments I had for the semester. Some of my professors that term were a little too organized, listing every single assignment in the syllabus, and outlining the many projects that would be due in great detail. As an Art History major, I had those two classes down, I knew, but I also had to take an Economics course for the Social Sciences requirement, and then I had to take a Math class. _Ugh._ Why couldn’t we have been done with Math in high school? And Econ was already killing me, slowly. Add that to the PE class I was taking, plus the many clubs and activities, and wham-o. Only a few weeks into the semester, and already I was feeling extremely overwhelmed.

Catherine stopped in her tracks and looked at me. “What?” she asked, noticing the sullen expression I must have been wearing, “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. Just wondering how I’m going to survive these last two semesters of college.” I lowered my eyes to the ground. “And yet, I don’t think I _want_ college to end, because then we’ll be flung into the real world, expected to have our lives all figured out, and–and--” I screwed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. “Sometimes I just wish a handsome prince would swoop in and take me away on his white horse, so I wouldn’t have to deal with it all!” I laughed a bit in spite of myself, feeling that I was being too theatrical, like Carlos.

Catherine reached out and touched my arm, nodding in agreement. “I know what you mean. A nice, hot, tall, prince. Let’s hope for two, so one can rescue me, too. Did I tell you yet about my Psych thesis?”

I cast her a sympathetic glance as we reached the coffee shop and got in line for the register. I glanced around for familiar faces as we waited. Then I scrunched my brow. I saw a guy and girl at a nearby table, the girl holding a camera and the guy sitting super close to her, appearing to be whispering sweet nothings in her ear. _PDA_ , I thought crankily. As my gaze moved, I noticed a pattern of the people sitting at all the tables. _Couples, couples..._ I glanced through the glass doors that led to the covered patio outside, and saw two of my friends who had recently gotten together, holding hands. “And we don’t even have boyfriends to help ease the pain,” I mumbled, feeling pouty.

Catherine, I knew, being just about as boy-crazy as me, would understand. “I know, right? What’s the deal with that? We’re two smart, nice, single hotties! What’s it gotta take to get some wanted male attention around here?”

“A better male population on this campus?” I quipped as I reached the register and ordered an iced mocha. After Catherine ordered, we chose a table in the corner and sat down.

Catherine brushed a blue bang out of her eye. “Well, maybe we just have to look more carefully. I’ll bet there are some Prince Charmings in disguise right here at Castlerock University!”

I raised my eyebrows, surprised by this idea. Could there really be potential princes hiding all over campus? Diamonds in the rough? “Really...? You think so?”

“Of course! Hey, our school is named ‘Castlerock’, after all, that’s bound to attract princes.” Catherine playfully grinned, laughing at her own joke.

I busted up, hoping my loud laugh wasn’t irritating to the other coffee shop patrons. “So, who is your first princely pick?” I asked her after I’d calmed down.

Catherine thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “What about Kyle, from the basketball team?”

I considered this. Kyle was tall, with light brown hair that fell into his green eyes. Definitely a McHottie. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. He’s awesome on the court. And he’s super popular, always surrounded by girls. I guess he’s sort of like a prince, huh?”

Catherine nodded. “And what about Leon?”

I smiled. Leon was cute and tall, and super nice. I met him my sophomore year when we both lived on the same dorm floor. I couldn’t recall him ever saying one unkind thing to anyone. “Yeah, he is really nice. He was always helping me carry my stuff whenever I came back from break. And he volunteered to take care of the plants in the dorm lounge.”

Catherine rested her chin in her hand. Leon had been in several of her classes, and she never had anything bad to say about him. “He is _so_ nice and considerate. If that’s not prince-like behavior, I don’t know what is.”

“Hold that thought.” I heard our coffee orders being called out. When I’d returned and handed Catherine her caramel macchiato, I said, “Okay, sorry. Please continue.”

Catherine laughed, her brown eyes dancing. I could tell her next suggestion was going to be a fun one. “Well, what about Victor?”

I wrinkled my nose, picturing the blonde Victor in a cape with a crown. “Victor?” I asked incredulously. I was pretty sure she wasn’t serious. She couldn’t be. “That clown?” I had been lucky enough to never have a class with Victor, but we’d been in the same Orientation group my freshman year, and Catherine had the, er, _good fortune_ of being stuck in the same dorm with him two years in a row, so our “bond” was sealed. Medium height with bright green eyes and a mischievous grin, he was on the Ultimate Frisbee team. Those guys were in a class of their own, always dressing up when the reading period before finals started, pulling harmless pranks on innocent bystanders. They _were_ pretty fun to be around, but Victor kind of annoyed me at times.

Catherine giggled shyly and shrugged. Wow. Apparently she _did_ think he was cute. Well, she knew him better than I did. “Why not? He’s pretty cute, you have to admit. He always makes me laugh.”

I considered this, trying to be fair. “I guess...I can...see his charm...”

“And we can’t forget Carlos!” Catherine winked. “With the way he hits on girls, and struts his stuff around campus, that boy thinks he’s royalty.”

I rolled my eyes, remembering my recent encounter with him. With his sparkling hazel eyes and dashing smile, I had always thought Carlos was one of the cutest guys at my school, but his ego turned me off a bit. It didn’t matter what I thought about him, though, as I was certain he wasn’t actually interested in me. Right? He couldn’t be. “Tell me about it. That one is a real special snowflake, all right. The things he says...the things he does...he’s so...”

“Princely?” Catherine suggested, daintily sipping her coffee while trying to look innocent.

I choked on my mocha, the straw stabbing the roof of my mouth slightly. Carlos? _Princely?_ What exactly was Catherine trying to _hint_ at me, anyways?

Seeing my expression, Catherine said, “Well, he _did_ ask you to dance the “tango of love--”

“Waltz.” I corrected her automatically.

“Whatever–with him. Isn’t that just the sort of thing a prince would say when courting a beautiful damsel?”

Ignoring her not-so-subtle hints about Carlos, I pondered this. “Hm...” I began, absentmindedly twirling my straw, imagining Carlos’s pick-up lines in a fairytale setting. Suddenly, they didn’t seem _quite_ so weird. “I suppose you’re right...princes do think things like waltzing are important. Maybe he was a prince in another life.” I joked.

Catherine nodded, seeming pleased that she’d made her point, but dropping the subject of Carlos, which I was grateful for. “Let’s think of other would-be princes in our school...I know! What about that guy from your hometown...what’s his name?”

I furrowed my brow. “You mean Lucas?” I’d known Lucas for practically _forever,_ since grade school. It was such a surprise when I found out he had picked them same University as me. “He _is_ pretty cute, but, gee, I dunno, we’ve been friends since we were little...never thought of him as boyfriend material. Also, he has kind of a short temper. He can be really cranky sometimes.”

Catherine, who didn’t know him very well, looked at me curiously. “Like how do you mean?”

I shrugged. “Well, just as an example, he’s never been very good with maps or at asking for directions–I guess he thinks, like most guys, that it’s un-manly to ever ask for help or consult a map, so when I try to help him, or call him out on it, he bites my head off!”

“What? He’s so in denial that he thinks his sense of direction is fine?” Catherine asked skeptically.

“Yes!” I burst out, “He even _said_ that exact thing the other day, when he was trying to find a place to get his laptop fixed! I mean, who even says stuff like that? Not only was it weird and random, but it was kind of like him admitting he does have a problem.”

“Exactly,” Catherine agreed. “Not very prime prince-like material, if you ask me, in the personality department, at least. But he is really cute.” She sighed dreamily.

I thought of Lucas’ broad shoulders and amber eyes and blushed. “Um–there’s another guy I just thought of,” I blurted, quickly changing the subject.

“Ooh! Who?” Catherine asked eagerly.

“That new transfer student, Keith,” I said, reminded of the other day when I’d literally bumped into him in the library. He’d looked uncomfortable, adjusting his glasses and remaining silent when I had apologized. He was in my Math class, but pretty much didn’t acknowledge my existence. “I don’t know him very well, but he’s so mysterious, I might believe he was a prince from a strange, faraway land.”

“Hm...” Catherine mused, “Could very well be! He _does_ sound rather interesting!” She smiled, sipping the last of her coffee. “So, Elizabeth, don’t you see? Our campus is just filled with our potential princes!”

I smiled, nodding as I began to realize that her idea might not be so crazy after all. “Y’know, Catherine, you could be right! Now we’ve just got to polish up, find our princes, and then strut our stuff!”

We high-fived. “Yes!”

As I brought my hand back down, my eye caught my watch. “Aw, shoot. It’s getting kind of late. I’d better head back to my room, get a jump start on all my work for the weekend.”

Catherine nodded, sighing. “Yeah, I need to get going, too. I still have to pack.” Catherine’s family lived only an hour away from our school, so she often went home on the weekends.

We bid each other good-bye and I walked alone to the on-campus house I was living in for the year. I tugged at my long-sleeved top, lost in thought. _A prince at our school...who could it be?_ I giggled, suddenly excited by the prospect, no matter how ridiculous it might be to be thinking so much about it. I had more important things to focus on, but I couldn’t help but play the guys in my mind. _Kyle? Leon? Carlos? Victor? Keith? Lucas? Hm..._

I pulled out my key from my backpack and unlocked the front door to the house. I called out a greeting when I got the hallway, but neither of my house mates seemed to be home. I shrugged and entered my room, flung my backpack on my bed and stretched. “Now, what should I do?” I mumbled to myself, “Should I start my homework right away, or relax for a bit?” I thought of the huge packet of Economics homework that awaited me and suppressed a shudder. Normally, I liked to skip homework until Saturday and reserve my Friday nights for some fun, but I knew myself too well. I was positive I would be super mad at myself if I didn’t at least _start_ tonight.

I blew a stray bang out of my eye. “First, I think I’ll change into something more comfortable...” While my skirt, tights, and boots were super cute, they were not very comfortable to lounge around my room in. I walked over to my tall white wardrobe and paused for a moment to admire the photos of friends and posters that I had taped to the doors to make it more homey. Humming a happy tune, I opened the wardrobe door.

And screamed when a sudden blast of air knocked me backwards. I stumbled with my eyes closed over to my bed. Shielding my face, I opened my eyes to see what looked like a brightly-colored vortex in the center of my wardrobe swirling as if made up of powerful, almost _magical_ energy. I shook my head, dazed and confused. “What in the--”

A small, white creature with a pink mask, red cape, and gold wand suddenly flew out of the vortex. “AACK!” I shrieked.

“Hello!” A squeaky little voice rang out. I shook my head. Was I dreaming?

I gasped when a larger, human-sized figure suddenly emerged from the vortex. The person landed on their feet, and all too quickly the room stopped spinning as the vortex closed up and disappeared. I uncovered my face and stood up, at first too shocked to speak. With the bright colors of the vortex gone, I got a good, clear look at the figure, and realized, dazedly, that it was me!

I screamed.

The girl who looked like me appeared to notice me for the first time, and smiled, as if she were greeted by screams every day. “Hello! You must be the ‘me’ of this world!” Her green eyes locked with my brown ones before she closed them with a giggle.

The little creature floated by her side, suspended by tiny white wings. “Congratulations, Princess, we made it in one piece!”

“Huh?” My eyes widened, shocked by what I’d just heard. What on _Earth_ was going on? I mean, I knew I was worn out, but I was pretty sure I hadn’t fallen asleep...

The girl covered her mouth daintily as she laughed. “Nice to meet you!” She lifted the skirt of her long pink dress in a curtsy. “What’s your name?”

I blinked rapidly, then stammered, feeling dazed, “Um, nice to meet you, too...my name is Elizabeth.”

The girl clapped her hands together, appearing delighted about something. “No way! We even have the same name? I’m Elizabeth, too! I’m a Princess!”

“Princess?” I took in her long pink ball gown and delicate silver tiara. I suppose it made sense. Though none of this was making much sense at all.

“Uh-huh! And this is my tutor!” She nodded to the little white animal beside her.

“Hellooo!” The flying animal sang out, “Kip Hamoon Stallon the 777th, at your service!”

His long name and title caught my interest. “Wow–the 777th?” I asked.

Kip seemed pleased by my curiosity. Clearing his throat, he began, “Well, I suppose an explanation is in order. You see, a very long time ago, my great-great-great grandfather...”

The princess looked impatient, and interjected, “Kip, it’ll take all day to tell that story!”

Kip looked sheepish. “Sorry! I just lose all track of time when it comes to telling that story! Just call me ‘Kip’! Nice to meet you!”

Unable to hold back a smile, I said, “It’s nice to meet you, too...um, I mean, well–”

The princess asked, “What’s wrong? You seem out of sorts.”

I cleared my throat, unsure of how to phrase my question without sounding rude. “It’s just–um, well, _what_ are you _doing_ here?”

The princess grinned. “We came to ask you a favor!”

I knit my brows together. “A favor?”

“Well, the thing is, our kingdom hosts a dance competition every year, ‘The Ball in Saint-Lyon’,” the princess began, “And I’m supposed to choose a prince from another kingdom to partner with for the competition, to promote friendly relations between our kingdoms...but...the thing is...” the princess shuffled her feet back and forth nervously, “I’m _really_ bad at dancing. Terrible, in fact.” She dropped her gaze to the floor, seeming sad. “The mere thought of dancing in front of tons of people terrifies me...so I ran away!”

I nodded, feeling a surge of sympathy for her. “I see...so where is this ball at?”

“Huh?” The princess blinked, looking confused. “In our kingdom, of course!”

I shook my head, a bit annoyed that she’d missed my point. “No, I mean, where _is_ your kingdom?”

The princess laughed at her obvious mistake. “Oh, that!” She smoothed her long pink skirt daintily. “My kingdom is in another world!”

“Another...world?” I heard my voice echo numbly. This was all getting to be way too much information to handle. The situation defied all logic, it was like I was dreaming, but I _knew_ I was wide awake. It didn’t seem possible that this mirror version of me, and her little flying, furry, talking friend were here from another world, and yet, there they were, standing in my bedroom.

The princess nodded, seeming impatient. “Yes, another world! Are you with me so far?”

I ignored her snippy tone and nodded slowly, furrowing my eyebrows. “And just how do you get to this world?”

The princess turned and pointed to my wardrobe. “It’s just beyond that wardrobe!”

My eyes widened. Another world through the wardrobe? “Narnia?” I wondered aloud.

“Hm?” Kip inquired curiously. “What was that?”

I shook my head. _No, of course not! And I guess they wouldn’t understand the joke even if I explained._ “Um, nothing. So, _what_ are you guys doing here?”

The princess looked taken aback. She shared a glance with her furry little companion. “Didn’t we _just_ explain that?!”

I blew a stray bang out of my eye, exasperated. “Not really! I mean, I understand that you ran away because you’re afraid to dance at the ball because you think you’re a terrible dancer, but what does that have to do with me?” I demanded, putting my hands on my hips.

Kip shook his head, agitated. “It has _everything_ to do with you!” He cried. “We came to your world to get you to take the princess’ place, and have _you_ participate in the Ball in Saint-Lyon!”

My eyes widened. Wait–they wanted me to do what...? This was crazy! It was like something out of a movie–!!! I took a deep breath, and squeezed my eyes shut. Then after a moment, I opened them again. Nope, they were still there.

The princess clasped her hands together, looking desperate. “That’s right! So please, will you?”

“It would only be for one month,” Kip added, his tiny eyes pleading.

I bit my lip. Well, since this all appeared to be real, I would have to give it some real consideration. This was the opportunity of a lifetime–I would get to see another world, be a princess, at least for a little while, and dance! While the princess apparently didn’t like dancing, I have had a passion for dancing all my life, loving the feel of the rhythm when I put on music. It just was natural to me. I could help someone who was afraid to dance, and get the chance to do what I loved. Plus, I could get a break from the pile of school work that was threatening to bury me alive...Then I quickly shook my head. _What am I thinking? I can’t skip college for a month! I would flunk out, and all of my hard work would go down the drain. Econ and Math may be challenging, but I want to succeed!_ Call me too conscientious, but I really cared about my grades.

“Well, I would like to help, but I don’t think I can,” I began slowly, shrugging my shoulders. “I can’t just miss a month of college! I’m taking five classes right now, and if I’m gone that long, I’ll flunk for sure.”

Kip and the Princess glanced at each other. Then the Princess grinned mischievously. “But you wouldn’t miss a month. Don’t you see? We’d be trading places! You take over my duties, I take over yours. It’ll be a snap! I bet no one will even notice!”

 _Oh!_ This hadn’t occurred to me. I suppose if the Princess went to all of my classes and did my homework for me, there would be no problem. I felt bad at the thought of someone else doing my work for me, but I supposed since I would be helping _her_ by dancing in this contest, the least she could do was keep up on _my_ obligations here...

I nodded slowly. “Ok, if you’re sure you can handle it...”

“That means–?!” The princess squealed in excitement.

Kip pumped his little paw in the air. “You’ll do it?!”

I laughed at their exuberance. “Yes, I’ll do it. It’ll be the adventure of a lifetime! Here, let me let you know what you have to do to be me...” I reached for my backpack, pulling out my class schedule and a few of my notebooks. Then I went around the room and gathered all the class syllabi, placing them on my desk in front of the Princess. I spent awhile going into great detail of what she needed to do, telling her to read all the syllabi, as well as look at my planner to see what needed to be done by Monday. The Princess didn’t even seem to break a sweat, telling me she had plenty of classes just like this back home, and for me not to worry about it.

I still felt a little nervous, but she exuded confidence, and Kip didn’t seem worried either, so I finally shrugged and said, “Ok, then. Um, you’d better change out of that dress before my house mates come home.” I indicated the wardrobe, and then pointed to a small chest of drawers.

The Princess only laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it! Thank you so much!” Then she approached the wardrobe. “You guys had better get going.”

I smiled and nodded, feeling excited. “Ok! Lead the way!”

Kip lifted his wand high in the air and turned to my wardrobe. “Okay! I’ll open the door!” With a wave of his wand, the doors to my wardrobe slowly swung open and the swirling vortex reappeared. I hesitated.

Kip turned and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry! There’s nothing to be scared of! Just follow me!” Kip jumped into the vortex, disappearing from my sight.

“Um, do I–” I stuttered, turning to the princess, “I–I guess, um,” I laughed nervously, “Do I–jump in–”

The princess giggled and suddenly pushed me. “Eek!” I squealed as I was sucked in by a strong wind.

“Bye! Thanks again!” I heard the princess call after me. I couldn’t respond, having to squeeze my eyes shut as protection against the swirling wind.

* * *

A few moments later, I heard Kip’s voice squeak, “All right, we’re here! You can open your eyes!”

I slowly complied, glad the dizzying trip was over. A pair of closet doors swung open, and as we climbed out, I found myself in a large bedroom, with a huge, soft looking canopy bed, made of what looked like pink-tinted brass, with a luxurious pink ribbon comforter and lacy white curtains. The walls were covered with off-white wallpaper with a design etched in gold, and along one wall was a large white and pink floral dresser with gold handles. Along the other wall was a nice-sized vanity, and a night table.

“Wow...” I breathed. “I love pink! This is my dream bedroom!” I squealed in excitement.

Kip smiled. “I am glad you like it! Welcome to the Flower Kingdom! It lies on the Roserasia Continent of this world! I hope you will be comfortable in your new bedroom!”

I slowly wandered around the room, trying to take in every detail with my eyes. I walked over to the wardrobe again, and opened it slowly, wondering if the vortex was still there. When I opened it, I realized it must have returned to normal, for all that lay within were dozens of beautiful outfits. I sighed softly in wonder, fingering the silky blue fabric of one dress. “Wow...the princess does have some beautiful clothes...well,” I grinned, realizing something, “At least we’re the same size!”

I carefully closed the wardrobe doors and went to the window. As I looked at my surroundings, I was overwhelmed. Below my window, there was the most beautiful flower garden I had ever seen. I watched a few people stroll by, dressed in gowns and old-fashioned boots and capes. “It’s like a fairytale!” I said in wonder, but what I saw next made me gasp. “There are animals!” I cried, my eyes widening in surprise, “Dressed in human clothes!” I watched as the animals began a conversation, their mouths moving to form what appeared to be words. “No way! These animals are talking–!”

Kip seemed surprised at my wonder. “What? Animals in your world don’t talk?”

I hesitated, realizing I was speaking to a talking animal. “Well, how should I put this,” I began carefully, “Um, there are people who talk _to_ animals, but they don’t talk back...”

“Really?” Kip seemed shocked and intrigued by this bit of information. “Well, here it’s normal that animals _do_ talk!”

“I...” I stammered, “I see...”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Kip apparently was expecting this. “Ah! They’re here!”

“Who’s here?” I asked.

I watched as the door swung open, and the room was suddenly filled with strange looking little animals, much like Kip, I mused, all dressed in old-fashioned clothes. “Princess!” An animal with a mustache began, “We’ve finally found you!”

Another animal appeared at his side. “King Crown has been worried about you!” she squeaked.

“Wait–” the first one said, looking over me critically, “What in the blazes are you wearing?!”

I looked down at myself, then blinked, realizing my sweater, short denim skirt, grey tights and knee-length boots might look slightly strange to the assistants of the King.

“Please, get changed quickly, Princess!” A third animal chimed in. “The royal banquet is scheduled to begin shortly!”

Seeing my confused expression, Kip cupped his hand over his mouth and said, “Have you forgotten, Princess? They’re your servants.”

I crinkled my brow. _I didn’t forget, Kip, I’m not the actual princess! Hoo, boy,_ I thought, feeling overwhelmed. Servants. This was going to take some getting used to. Back home, I didns’t usually have people waiting on my every move.

“Here,” one of the servants said, thrusting an object into my hands. “Put this on!”

I looked down at my hands, which now held a silver tiara.

“Just put this on,” Kip whispered to me, “So you can transform.”

My eyes widened. “Transform?”

Kip nodded. “It’s the magic of our kingdom. With special accessories, you can transform and wear a beautiful new outfit.”

I nodded, feeling excited. “Here goes,” I whispered. I placed the tiara on my head. Suddenly, golden glitter-like energy swirled around my body, and I was no longer in my sweater and skirt, but in a beautiful pink ball gown. I admired myself in the mirror, and did a little twirl. “Wow...”

“This magical tiara is a gift, your highness,” one of the servants said, “You may use it from now on.”

“Wow, this is pretty cool!” I giggled.

Kip closed his eyes as he laughed. “I’m glad you like it!”

The oldest-looking servant shook his head. “Now is not the time for this! Hurry, we have to get to the banquet hall!”

“Um...” I looked nervously to Kip then back to my reflection, “Okay, let’s go!”

The procession of tiny flying animals led me out of the bedroom and down a hall. As we descended the staircase, I bit my lip and fussed nervously with my skirt. When we made it to a set of double doors, I took a shaky breath. “What’s the matter, Princess?” I heard Kip ask.

Still not used to being referred to as a princess, he had to tap me on the shoulder to get my full attention. I sighed. “Don’t be nervous,” Kip encouraged, patting my shoulder with his little white paw, “You’ll do just fine. I’ll be there to help you.”

I smiled, feeling a little better. “Okay.” I closed my eyes to compose myself as one of the servants opened the doors.

Inside the large hall was a large table covered with plates of delicious looking food. From the ceiling hung brightly colored lights and banners. My eyes circled the room, observing all the noblemen and women dressed like something out of a fairytale.

“Princess,” Kip began, clearing his throat, “This is the perfect opportunity to get yourself acclimated to this world and meet some princes! Remember, you need to find a partner for the ball!”

I nodded, a bit overwhelmed. Before I could reply, a blonde boy barely taller than me appeared before me. My eyes widened. He looked _just like_ Victor! His bright green eyes had a mischievous sparkle to them. “Hi!” he said cheerfully. “You’re the princess of the Flower Kingdom, right?”

“Victor?” I squeaked out incredulously.

He looked surprised. “Victor? Who’s Victor?”

Kip nudged me with his tiny wand, clearing his throat. “This is Prince Vincent Wright of the River Kingdom!”

I looked at Kip, confused, and whispered, “A prince? You’ve got to be kidding me! That guy goes to my school!”

“Don’t you remember?” Kip asked in a whisper. “This is a parallel world! He may be a college student in your world, but he’s a prince in this one!”

“Oh, that’s right!” I bit my lip. “Sheesh, this world’s so topsy-turvy.”

Kip nodded, looking frazzled. “Now that you’ve got that, give Prince Vincent a proper greeting!”

I cleared my throat. _How do princesses behave again?_ I wondered frantically, searching my mind for memories of books and movies on the subject. I lifted my skirt ever so slightly and gave a delicate curtsy. “N-nice to meet you, Prince Vincent! My name is Elizabeth.”

Vincent grinned and gave a short bow in reply. “A pleasure, Elizabeth. Please, just call me Vince!”

I smiled, feeling a little more relaxed.

“This castle is so big!” Vince said. “You should show me around later.”

His suggestion took me aback. I couldn’t show him around! I had no idea where anything was! “Umm,” I stammered, trying to think of an excuse, “I’ll, uh, have to ask my father, y’know, the King? First.” I held my breath. _How lame..._

“Okay!” Vince seemed full of energy suddenly. “I’ll go ask for you!”

“Huh? W-wait!” I called after him as he hurried out of the room. “Well,” I sighed, “That wasn’t so bad, I guess. I wonder what the next prince will be like.”

I wandered a few feet around the hall, when suddenly a prince holding a red rose approached me. My eyes widened. Tall with hazel eyes and wavy hair that fell to his chin...he looked exactly like Carlos! The Carlos look-alike flipped a bang out of his eyes and said, “Well, if it isn’t my beloved Princess Elizabeth, as beautiful as ever!”

 _He sounds just like Carlos, too!_ I thought, stunned.

He reached for my hand and placed a kiss to it. Despite myself, I felt my cheeks grown warm. _M-must be the shock of it all_ , I tried to reason.

Seeing the frozen look I must have had on my face, Kip whispered in my ear, “This is Prince Cesar Dubois of the Marées Kingdom!” I nodded. Judging by how he’d referred to me, I assumed that this...‘Cesar’ already knew my counterpart.

Cesar smiled, wiping all the thoughts from my mind, and held out the rose. “Your beauty puts this rose to shame.” My hands shaking slightly, I took the rose from his hand, stammering a thank you. As my fingers brushed his, my hand shook even more. His hazel eyes locked with mine and I bit my lip. Suddenly, still gazing into my eyes, he furrowed his eyebrows, seeming puzzled now.

“Wh-what?” I whispered nervously, self-conscious that he’d noticed something amiss, though I was so nervous I couldn’t be sure what it was.

Still looking puzzled, he flashed a smile. “Oh, it’s nothing. I just wish you would’ve agreed to be my partner when I asked you before...” Before I could think of a proper excuse, trying not to blow my cover, he continued, “Well, I mustn’t keep you. Let me know if you change your mind. Adieu for now, Princess!”

I watched, stunned and unblinking as Cesar left, making his way to the refreshments table. “Wow,” I breathed, stunned. “He just said his piece and left! He didn’t even let me get a word in edgewise!”

“Prince Cesar was rejected by the real princess once before,” Kip explained. “Since then, he’s kept on trying to win her affection, but he’s yet to be successful.”

“I see...” I wondered if he was just like Carlos, who flirted constantly with me and other pretty girls, or if he actually had feelings for the princess. “Hmm...” I pondered as I wandered through the room, fingering the rose. “Ow!” I felt someone ram into me. “Hey, what’s the big idea?” I exclaimed as the person shoved past me.

He stopped and turned on his heel. “Watch where you’re going!” he growled, clenching a fist.

I studied him quickly, taking in his form–tall, with broad shoulders and dark hair–he looked like Lucas! “Um, I’m sorry...” All my indignation leaving my body at the sight of my friend, or rather, someone who looked just like my friend.

He crossed his arms, a satisfied smirk crossing his face. “Well, then, as long as you’re sorry,” he muttered before hurrying off.

My anger returned, flooding my face with color. “What?!” I cried, outraged.

“Are you all right?” Kip asked me.

I furrowed my brow. “Yeah, but that guy looked just like my friend back home, Lucas...”

“That’s Prince Luciano Barbosa of the Garadium Kingdom,” Kip explained. “He seems to be really testy lately...”

I had begun to notice the uncanny pattern that all of the princes I’d met so far looked like guys who went to my school. _I wonder who else is here?_ Then I saw a prince with shaggy purple hair and glasses standing by himself in the corner of the room. “He looks like Keith!”

I realized too late that by that point we had locked eyes and I had said that last part aloud.

“Keith?” He asked in a deep voice, confused.

I shook my head. “Sorry! Um, I don’t believe we’ve met. I am–”

“Why are you talking to me?” He suddenly interrupted, his soft eyes inquisitive.

His question surprised me. “Um...I just was trying to meet someone new.”

He stepped away from the wall. “Sorry, I don’t have time to talk right now.” With that, he took off.

“Wow.” I shrugged to Kip. “He _could_ be friendlier.”

“That’s Prince Kiefer Bergmann from the land of Nezzie,” Kip said. “He’s a man of few words, and is famous for his great intelligence!”

“Hm...still, he could be friendlier,” I insisted. My train of thought was interrupted by the sudden squeals of girls. I noticed a few feet away a tall, handsome young man surrounded by a lot of girls, presumably princesses. “He looks like Kyle!” I realized.

Kip heard this, and chipped in, “That’s Prince Klaus of the country of Lamor. He’s quite the popular one.”

I laughed. “Just like back home!”

Two girls seemed to be vying for his attention more than the others. Kip nudged me. “Go introduce yourself.” I nodded, fussing with my hair before approaching him. “How do you do, Prince Kyle? Err, I mean, Prince Klaus!” I recovered quickly.

He smiled, his green eyes twinkling. “How do you do, Princess Elizabeth?”

I smiled, feeling confident, and began, “Would you like to...” Suddenly, the two more pushy princesses appeared in front of him, blocking him from my view. “Hey! Klaus is busy with us!” One declared as they dragged him away, apparently against his will.

“He’s gone...” I mumbled in dismay.

Kip shrugged. “Well, there was nothing you could do.”

I shrugged too, then looked around the hall. “Oh, look! There’s a patio over there!”

Kip looked to where I was pointing. “Oh, that’s the inner garden. Would you like to take a look?”

I nodded eagerly. When we stepped onto the cobbled patio, admiring the colorful flowers, I noticed Vince off to the side of the inner garden, talking to a young man with leaf green hair and kind eyes.

“Hey,” I called out to them, “What are you guys doing?”

Vince saw me and waved, then pointed to his companion and shrugged. “I dunno, I guess he found a rare flower, or something.”

The tall companion smiled. “It’s a malkid flower I found when I was on my way to the castle. It only grows in this region.”

“Oh, really?” I asked, observing the beautiful white flower he held, with its soft, dewy petals.

Vince snorted, seeming bored. “Well, see ya!” He raced back inside.

The young man smiled and bowed lightly. “Nice to meet you, Princess. I’m Liam Goodrich of the Green Kingdom.” I gasped as I looked into his tender emerald eyes. I knew who he looked like now! He looked just like my friend Leon!

“Pleased to meet you, Liam. I am Princess Elizabeth.” I curtsied, feeling more confident than the first time I had curtsied that night.

“Princess,” he went on, “What kind of flowers do you like?”

I smiled. What a sweet question! He was just like Leon! I thought for a moment, then replied, “Roses!”

Liam nodded, smiling. “Roses, hm? Very fitting for a beauty such as you.” I blushed, and he continued, “Well, then I shall see you later, Princess Elizabeth.” With that, he went back inside.

“Wow,” I sighed, “So many princes!”

* * *

Later, after the feast ended, I turned to Kip and said, “Phew! I’m worn out!”

Kip smiled sympathetically, patting my shoulder.

Suddenly, the room fell into a hush as the King made an announcement. “Now, to end the festivities, we have a special performance! Prince Klaus and Princess Cynthia will dance for us!”

I watched with interest as the pair took the floor and amazed us all with a graceful waltz. “Wow...I wonder if I’ll ever be able to dance as beautifully as that with someone...”

All too soon, it seemed, their routine was over and we all burst into applause. I sighed in wonder. “That was impressive!”

“Princess,” Kip suddenly whispered. For a moment I forgot that he was talking to me. This princess thing was going to take awhile to sink in. “Hm?”

“It’s getting late and everyone is leaving. I think it best if you called it a night. You have quite a busy day tomorrow.”

I blinked, then whipped my head to find the large clock that adorned one wall of the hall. I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten. “I guess you’re right...” I said, disappointed. I didn’t want my first party as a princess to end so soon.

The crown of people heading for the main double doors soon became a thick clump of traffic, difficult to move more than a few inches at a time. I decided to hang back for a few moments to let the bulk of people pass. As I loitered by the wall, a similar figure caught my attention. I bit my lip when I saw it was the prince who looked like Lucas. What was his name? Luciano, I think. Suddenly, his amber eyes locked with mine. They flashed with something that looked like hostility. I felt myself smile shyly, and he quickly turned away. _Hmmph! What a jerk! At least Lucas is nicer than him! I guess they_ aren’t _identical!_

As the crowd thinned out, I took a deep breath and headed for the door. Just as I reached them, I felt my arm brush against someone. I glanced up and saw it was Cesar, the Carlos look-alike. He smiled, revealing a row of nice, even teeth, and reached for the door, holding it open. He made a sweeping motion with his arm, motioning for me to go first. I blinked, startled. “Oh! Thank you!”

Cesar flashed that grin of his again, the one that went all the way to his hazel eyes. “My pleasure.”

His intent gaze made my cheeks go red. I passed through the door and exhaled slowly when I was out of his line of vision and halfway up the stairs. _One thing about these princes...I’ve gotten way more attention from guys in one night than in an entire semester back home!_ A vision of those piercing hazel eyes flashed through my mind again and I felt my heart do a funny jump in my chest. _I think I’m going to like it here..._

As I turned the knob to enter my bedroom, Kip cleared his throat and began in that squeaky voice of his, “Well, princess, I must say, I am impressed with your adjustment! You did well tonight.”

I smiled, touched. “You really think so? Thank you.”

Kip nodded. “Well, get a good night’s sleep. I will send for you tomorrow morning at 8 AM, sharp! We have a lot to do!”

I nodded, stifling a yawn. “Ok, G’night!” Closing the door once I was inside, I leaned against the doorframe, and looked around my new, elaborately furnished room. Crossing the room to the dressing table, I fingered the rose Cesar gave me that was still in my hand. Smiling, I grabbed a flower vase that held some wild flowers, and placed the single rose among them. Humming the tune that Klaus and his partner had waltzed to, I couldn’t help notice how the rose stuck out from the rest of the flowers in the bunch. “Kind of how I feel,” I whispered. “Feeling out of place and lost? Don’t worry,” I said softly, “We’ll both feel better soon.”

I then walked over to the dresser, and opened the drawer, then gasped as I saw the array of beautiful, delicate pajamas of all kinds, matching tops and bottoms as well as night gowns, of varying colors, lengths, and fabrics. I finally chose a long flannel pink nightgown with hand-stitched flowers all over and ribbon laced through the collar and sleeves. I flopped onto the cushy bed and stared at the canopy above my head. _I wonder what tomorrow will be like..._ Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

_To be continued..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Author’s Note:** I changed a couple of the princes' kingdoms; while the game said that Cesar was from the “Sea Republic” and Klaus was from “The Republic of Lamor” and Kiefer was from “The Nezzie Empire,” that Princes would be from principalities or monarchies. Therefore, I switched Cesar’s homeland to be “The Marées Kingdom.” “Marées” is French for “Tides,” and since Cesar speaks French I decided that it should be more incorporated into his life. I switched out Klaus and Kiefer’s republics and empires for “lands” and “countries.” :-)  
> 


	2. ~First Lesson~

I shifted restlessly and yawned. Sitting up in bed I stretched and blinked. Seeing my surroundings, I furrowed my brow. “This isn’t my room...” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

Sitting up straighter, I paused a moment as the blurry laced-curtain windows and ornate furniture became clear. “Wait...so it...wasn’t a dream?” I slowly got out of bed and crossed the room to the vanity on the opposite wall. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and crinkled my nose. “Well, I look like a mess,” I muttered as I reached for the hairbrush that sat upon the table, hoping to tame my knotted, disheveled brown hair. As I did, I noticed the vase of flowers, where the red rose stood out from amongst the other flowers. Suddenly, memories of last night came flooding to my mind.

I turned sharply when I heard a rapping at my door. I reached for my robe off of the hook on the side of the wardrobe and hastily put it on. “Come in!” I called.

Kip suddenly flew into the room. “Oh, good, Princess, you’re up! Well, there’s no time to waste! Breakfast at 8:15, and then you’re off to your dance lesson!”

“Dance lesson?” I asked groggily.

Kip nodded. “Of course! If you’re going to dance before the entire kingdom at the Ball, we need you to be as prepared as possible! And once you find a partner, you need to pick a piece together and begin choreographing your dance!”

My stomach lurched. Dance in front of the whole kingdom? Could I really do that? I felt a sudden rush of fear. Probably anxiety about being out on the floor all alone, well, except for my partner, and the thought of having only a month to come up with a piece that would win the competition. It was all too much to process for me. Then I closed my eyes. _I have to calm down,_ I tried to tell myself. _I’m always so quick to panic. It’s not a big deal, right? I mean, the Ball is a whole month away! I can totally find a partner and be prepared by the time of the Ball. No sweat. I’m in a magical kingdom! Might as well enjoy myself!_

I took a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face. “Okay, I’ve got this. Dance lesson–what does one wear to a dance lesson?” I murmured to myself as I approached my bureau and rifled through the many drawers filled with dresses and skirts and freshly pressed slacks.

Kip followed me over the my dresser, blinking his wide eyes at me. “Why, dancing clothes, of course!”

I thought of the 'dancing clothes' I had worn to the many dance classes I had attended at home, which consisted of yoga pants and tee shirts. Something told me that wouldn’t be appropriate or even possible here.

Kip added, seeming exasperated, “Just pick a dress and some dancing shoes and get ready!” He then left, the door somehow managing to close behind his tiny figure.

I sighed, opening my wardrobe and fingering the gorgeous dresses that hung within. They were all so beautiful, I was having sensory overload. Finally, I chose an aqua blue knee-length dress with short sleeves. I reasoned that I would get hot dancing if I wore a long, thick dress. I then pulled out a sweater and matching blue dancing shoes, shoes with a low heel that didn’t look too precarious.

Once I was dressed, I walked over to the gilded full-length mirror. The dress was so pretty, one of those dresses with the full skirts that you felt like twirling in. I spun around in a circle and laughed as the skirt danced around with me. “Perfect for dancing!” I smiled.

  


* * *

Kip flew beside me as I walked through the castle and out of the main doors. As I crossed the courtyard, a sudden booming voice startled me. “Good morning Your Highness!”

I turned and was surprised to see the voice came from a human-sized dog who was dressed like a palace guard and standing on two feet. “Uh–um,” I stammered, trying to not look as shocked as I felt, “G-good morning!”

Seeing my expression after we left the courtyard, Kip asked, “Princess, what’s the matter?”

I swallowed, trying to think of a tactful way to express my thoughts. “Um, it’s just that I’m not used to so many animals talking,” I said with a casual shrug.

Kip scratched his furry head. “What a strange world you’re from!” He commented.

We continued our walk in silence, as I was far too absorbed in staring in wonder at the beautiful kingdom to really make conversation. “Well, here we are!” Kip said suddenly.

I slowed my steps and stared at the building before me. It wasn’t huge; it was a rather medium-sized structure. It had a tall gabled roof and brown trim. A sign hung that read in scrolled font, ‘Flower Kingdom Practice Hall.’

As we went inside, I gasped in wonder at the huge room before me, with the delicate pattered wallpaper, tall cream columns, and marble floors. This put all of my dance classrooms back home to shame.

Kip cleared his throat. “Princess, I would like you to meet your dance instructor.”

I looked around the room, and saw no one. “Where?” I asked. “Is he arriving soon?”

Kip shook his head, looking completely perplexed. “What do you mean? He’s right here!”

I tipped my head to the side, confused. “Where? Is he invisible?”

Kip let out a frustrated sigh and pointed. Following the direction of his paw, I looked down and saw a rabbit dressed in a coat, bow tie, and top hat. _That’s my dancing instructor? He looks like a tenth my size!_

“Pleased to meet you! I’m Tony, the rabbit!” He said in a surprisingly deep voice.

“A–a rabbit?” I said incredulously.

Kip narrowed his eyebrows and brandished his wand. “Princess! Mind your manners!” He scolded. “Tony happens to be the greatest dancer in all of the Flower Kingdom!”

“Um, please forgive me. I’m pleased to meet you too, Tony,” I choked out with a curtsy. _I need to get used to this! I can’t be rude; I’m supposed to be the princess now!_

“Oh, a moment, Your Highness!” Tony said suddenly. “Traaaaansform!!!!”

A bright light blinded me, and when it cleared, Tony was suddenly taller than me, like the dog who was the palace guard!

“There we are!” Tony said, casually adjusting his bow tie.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed. Well, it was hard to contain my astonishment. He just transformed, like I did last night when I put on that tiara Kip gave to me. Did everyone in this world have magic? “Kip!” I turned to him and began, “Can you transform too?”

Kip looked taken aback, his tiny green eyes widening. “That’s a secret,” he said, covering his mouth with a little paw. “Anyways, enough chit-chat! It’s time to begin with your lesson!”

Tony smiled and nodded his agreement. “All right, then, let’s get started. Princess, have you much dance experience?”

I nodded. “Yes, a lot of ballet, as well as some tap.”

Tony clapped his hands together. “Splendid! Then you should have no trouble picking up the moves! Have you done any ballroom dancing before?”

I figured that since I was supposed to be a princess, and dance lessons seemed to be a staple in the life of a princess, I nodded. “But, um, it’s been awhile,” I added, hoping that would cover the fact that I had never actually danced ballroom in my life.

Tony nodded, seeming to have bought my story easily enough. “Very well, then let’s have a refresher course and start with the basics. The first thing is body placement. Now, remember to have good posture.”  


I nodded, trying to stand up straighter.

“Good–remember to keep your head up, shoulders open, feet hip width apart, and maintain a strong core.”

I was used to this jumble of directions from my ballet class, so I hoped it was relatively the same type of stance.

Tony nodded, seeming satisfied. Then he began, “Now, there’s the position you take with your partner. There are three to remember.” He took my hand in his and pulled me closer.

 _What a surreal experience,_ I thought, _Dancing with a giant rabbit_. Tony continued his instruction, not sensing my dismay at our situation.

“First is closed position. We stand facing each other, the ladies’ left hand on the gentleman’s right shoulder and the gentleman’s right hand on her ribcage, and then we clasp our other hands like so...” He took my right hand in his and held it a bit below shoulder height. “Then there’s open position,” He turned me slightly so our hands were still clasped, but our bodies were tilted outward so our hips were touching. “And finally,” Tony said, “There is the conversation position, where you stand face to face with your partner, as if you are just having a chat, and join hands as needed. This position is often used with swing dancing. Does all this make sense?”

I nodded, furrowing my brow and hoping I remembered everything.

“Good.” Tony smiled. “Now, remember, the man always leads, and it is his job to give the lady cues to make sure every move is perfectly in sync. If you ever start to feel off-track, your partner should be able to cue you to the correct dance steps with his placement and movement.” He paused, then continued, “Okay, let’s start off with a waltz. It’s a simple pattern to follow. The rhythm is one-two-three, one-two-three, and the feet are very simple, the two of you almost make a box with your feet. Are you ready to try it?”

I took a shaky breath, rattled with nerves, then nodded. A waltz couldn’t be too bad, right?

Tony clapped his hands, and music began to play. I gazed around in confusion. Where was the music coming from? Then I saw the large gramophone in the corner of the room. I had never actually seen one of those outside of movies and photographs.

Taking first position, Tony led me through my first waltz. At first I had trouble getting the rhythm down exactly right, and the fact that Tony was holding me firmly so I didn’t fall too far out of step confused me. But soon I was able to feel myself forming the pattern with my feet.

After about an hour of practicing, twirling around the room and losing my footing here and there until I got the hang of it, a movement in the far corner caught my eye. Then I saw that is was Luciano, leaning casually against the wall, his arms folded across his chest and a disgruntled expression on his face.

When Tony and I came to a stop, I smiled and said, “Hello, Luciano! How are you?”

Tony tipped his hat. “Good day, Prince Luciano. What can we do for you?”

Luciano didn’t respond for a moment, then replied in his deep voice, “Nothing, I...I just felt like stopping by to see...but I see you’re both busy...”

 _Why is he here?_ I wondered, dying to know. _Why won’t he just spit it out? Why is he always so mysterious?_

“Um, Luciano,” I began, smiling tentatively, “Would you like to practice dancing with me?”

Luciano’s gaze, which was already pretty stony, hardened as if I’d asked him to jump off a cliff. “No thanks. I have to go.” He turned and left in one swift moment before I could even respond.

“Wow, that was weird. And rude.” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. Then I sighed with fatigue. “Whew, I’m actually pretty worn out,” I commented.

“Perhaps we should call it a day, Princess,” Tony said. “We can pick up our lesson tomorrow, same time.”

I nodded, smiling. “All right, thank you for the lesson Tony. See you tomorrow!”

* * *

As I walked back to the castle, this time without Kip, who had rushed off to some meeting, I found the sun to be exceptionally bright. I squinted and covered my face with my hand. When I walked through the square, I saw a horse being led by someone in the near distance. I slowed my steps and cupped a hand over my eyes to see them better. The horse was beautiful, pure white with a long, flawless white mane. _I am such a horse geek_. I laughed to myself. Then my heart skipped a beat when I realized who was leading the horse. Tall, with short, slightly wavy mauve hair, and a stance that was all too familiar due to his counterpart in my world always hitting on me. _Cesar,_ I thought, my heart doing a strange little dance in my chest. _What is this for? Why am I nervous all of a sudden?_ I shook my head, trying to dismiss it and continuing on my way. _Why do I care? He’s just like Carlos..._

When he stepped out of the direct light of the bright sun, we could see each other more clearly. I didn’t react, but Cesar smiled in recognition and lifted his hand in a friendly wave.

I inhaled sharply, and waved back. _Why do I feel so nervous? Well,_ I thought after a moment as I strolled back to the castle, _He_ did _give me that rose..._ I bit my lip. _I’m just boy-crazy._

As I approached the gardens that surrounded the castle, I saw a familiar couple, the girl sitting on the edging of a stone flowerbed, and the guy in front of her, clasping her hands and whispering to her. My eyes widened when I realized why they seemed so familiar: It was Prince Klaus and Cynthia! From the looks of their behavior, it didn’t seem as if they were just partners for the dance competition, but an actual couple! I sighed. _Well, there’s one prince I won’t be dancing with at the ball. I wonder who my partner will be?_

  


* * *

As I entered my room after trudging up the long staircase, I flopped on my bed. I knew I probably had many more princess duties to fulfill that day, but until Kip came to get me, I would try to take a nap. I smiled as I drifted off, my head filled with dancing the waltz. I found I couldn’t wait to learn more dance steps at tomorrow’s lesson.

_To be continued..._


	3. ~Today's Dance Lesson~

I smoothed my yellow skirt when I arrived at Practice Hall the next morning. I hoped I was ready to dance without any breaks again...Tony probably would try to teach me for a longer amount of time today.

When I opened the door and entered the large room, I saw that Tony was nowhere to be found, but someone was in his place. His black coat offset his light mauve hair. Wait a minute...that hair!

The man turned at the sound of my footsteps, and I realized with a little jump of my heart that I was correct, it was Cesar! His hazel eyes locked with mine, and he flashed a smile that lit up his entire face. “Why, hello, Princess Elizabeth! You look more radiant than ever!”

My heart hammered in my chest. _What is up with this reaction?_ I found myself wondering. _He looks just like Carlos from home!_ Carlos was cute, sure–but this guy–this guy was something else entirely. I found myself smiling. “Hello, Cesar.”

Cesar walked towards me, tossing his head slightly to get a stray bang out of his eye. “I was wondering if you would like to join me, Princess Elizabeth.” He held out his hand.

I reached out my own, and grasped his a bit clumsily. My hand tingled as it had the other day when out fingers touched. _Why?_ “J-join you?” I asked, confused and slightly flustered.

Cesar merely smiled his charming smile once more. “In a dance. Tony wasn’t able to make it today, and when we bumped into each other, he asked if I could practice with you. I’m sure it would be amazing!”

I nodded, my cheeks growing warm. “Um, ok...”

He approached me, and I put my left hand on his shoulder and assumed closed position. “What have you been working on, Princess?” He asked.

“Well,” I began, as I struggled to look him straight in the eye. I always had a problem looking people, particularly handsome guys, directly in the eye. And the fact that our faces were so close together due to the dance position was not helping. “Yesterday, Tony taught me how to waltz.”

“All right, then,” Cesar nodded to the corner of the room, and a record lowered itself on the phonograph, which began to crank and play magically. Counting the rhythm out loud softly in beats of three, we began dancing when a new count began. We were only dancing for a minute or so when I began to realize Cesar was a very good lead. He was holding himself steady and had his shoulders open, and held my hand firmly but not too tight. He also had his hand on my rib cage, not on my waist--Tony told me men often made the mistake of placing their hand too low. Every so often, we would change from a turning step to a plain box step, and Cesar was able to lead me into it by giving me proper cues, like gently squeezing my hand and whispering what the next step was.

Cesar looked down into my eyes and smiled. “My, Princess, you are more light on your feet than ever before!”

I smiled nervously. I guess it was true, I really was a better dancer than the Princess. I hoped Cesar didn’t become suspicious–maybe if I just made it look like I’d been practicing a lot? “Why, thank you! You’re an amazing lead, Cesar,” I replied truthfully. “You really have rhythm.”

“So do you,” Cesar said as he tugged my arm gently and lifted it above my head, twirling me.

I giggled as he righted back into the closed position, our faces now barely inches from each other. “Wow! You just pulled me right into that! You really are a great lead!”

Cesar laughed in return. I felt his breath tickle my face and it made me blush. “Not used to being spun against your will, eh?”

I laughed. “Definitely not. But I don’t mind.”

Cesar looked thoughtful. “You really are letting your inhibitions towards dancing go, huh?”

I literally felt myself pale. I’ve always loved dancing, but I keep forgetting the Princess hates it because she’s not very good at it. “It’s just been the past few days–I’ve let the music take over! I just love the feel of the musical beats!”

“You just let the music flow through you?” When I nodded, Cesar burst out, “Me, too! It’s an amazing feeling, isn’t it?”

My eyes widened in pleased surprise at his words. I’d never heard a guy talk about dancing so openly! _But in this world,_ I mused, _Princes are taught dancing from the time they are small. It’s a sign of talent and nobility._

Cesar suddenly furrowed his brow. “My, Elizabeth,” he began, looking puzzled, “I never noticed your eyes are brown before! I was certain they were green, as green as emeralds!”

I took in a sharp breath. _Oh my gosh! That’s right! The real princess has green eyes!_ I narrowed my eyes. _Really?! Why on earth do we look exactly the same except for our eye color?_ “Um...” I stammered, trying to think fast, “I...” Brown–green–isn’t there something in between? Some sort of middle ground? Gazing into Cesar’s vibrant hazel eyes as he waited for my response, it hit me. “Hazel!” I said quickly, swallowing a lump in my throat. “They’re actually, um, hazel. I get that a lot. Depending on the l-light, sometimes people think they’re green, or other times brown, but they’re actually hazel!”

Ok, that wasn’t a total lie. I mean, no one’s ever said my eyes looked green, but sometimes people _think_ they’re hazel.

Cesar tilted his head slightly to the side. The corner of his mouth lifted. “Really?” He said softly, reaching his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. The touch sent shivers up my spine. “Because to me, they look like the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes I’ve ever seen. It’s wrong to deem them anything so plain and dull as hazel.”

My heart pounded in my chest. How could he say such corny things so sincerely? Instead of causing me to roll my eyes, his compliments made me blush. “But, _your_ eyes are hazel,” I found myself saying barely above a whisper, surprising myself, “And they’re not dull or plain.”

Cesar’s smile widened, and color suddenly flooded his cheeks. The next thing I knew, he was spinning me again. I laughed in spite of myself. When I was back in his arms, we had stopped dancing, and Cesar said finally, “...Thank you, Elizabeth.”

I found myself staring up into his eyes for what felt like an eternity, unable to come up with something to say. Finally, Cesar broke the spell by saying, seeming very thoughtful, “Well, I’m glad you’ve...come around to the idea of dancing at the Ball. I know that you were nervous before, but you’ve really seemed to change your opinion about dancing in general.”

My eyes widened. Had I almost blown my cover again? I just couldn’t seem to remember that just as I knew the prince’s counterparts in my world, Cesar and the others knew the real princess! And the real princess hates dancing! _I can’t keep pouring my hear out like this,_ I scolded myself. _No matter how much I’ve always liked to dance, I have to pretend that it’s a new idea to me–that I’m just learning to like it!_ “Um,” I stammered nervously, “I guess it was just a fear I had to conquer. And now that I have, I realize that I’ve been missing out on so much! Dancing is,” I dropped my gaze from his seemingly perplexed stare, “Wonderful...” I bit my lip, feeling silly.

I felt Cesar gently squeeze my hand and re-assume the closed position, counting out the waltz again. As we danced, Cesar laughed as a small smile lit up his face. “You're right, this _is_ wonderful,” he agreed. Then, in what felt like a split-second, his eyes, for a moment so bright and warm, clouded with what seemed like sadness. “W-well,” he stammered, letting go of me and taking a step backwards, seeming suddenly standoffish, “Thank you for the dance, Elizabeth. I’m afraid I have to leave now.”

This was so sudden it took me aback. “Oh?” I asked, feeling dumb that I couldn’t come up with anything else. “W-well, it was nice seeing you.”

I hated to admit it, but I felt hurt. Cesar suddenly seemed like he couldn’t wait to get out of there. And I thought he actually might be a nice guy...

I bit my lip and watched his face carefully, judging what might be going through his head to make him suddenly seem so depressed and cold. Slowly, his expression began to look slightly less frosty and glum, and he gave a gentle smile. “I hope to see you again,” he murmured in a soft voice.

I nodded, still a bit confused but no longer feeling hurt. Whatever he’d been thinking of probably had nothing to do with me. I was just being paranoid, as usual. “I’d like that,” I said with a tiny smile, trying to sound casual and yet sincere.

Cesar gave a little wave and then left the dance room.

“Princess?”

Kip’s voice made me jump. I turned to see him hovering a few feet behind me. “Kip? How long have you been there, anyway?”

“Several minutes.” Kip looked apologetic. “Forgive me, but I couldn’t help but notice how well you seem to be getting along with Prince Cesar.”

I felt myself turn red. Was the fact that I thought he was cute that obvious? Greaaaaat...

“Why don’t you ask him to be your partner?”

The question startled me. Ask him to...? But I just met him! I mean, he’s nice and all, and I know being a prince’s partner doesn’t mean you’re engaged, or anything, but wouldn’t that be too aggressive? I swallowed hard. “Um, Kip? Shouldn’t the Prince do the asking?” Hey, it may be old-fashioned, but we were in a fairytale land, after all.

Kip adjusted his glasses in a nervous fashion. “Well, I don’t know if you remember me telling you this, Princess, but Cesar did already ask. The real Princess, that is. And she turned him down.” Kip added with a cringe. “But, perhaps if you told him you changed your mind, and apologized, he would agree to be your dance partner!”

Was that the reason for Cesar’s look of sadness? Because he thought that I, believing me to be the Princess, didn’t want to be his dance partner, and I was just teasing him today? I felt awful. What could I do? Should I ask him to be my partner?

“Princess?” Kip interrupted my thoughts. “Why don’t you think about it overnight? You can ask Cesar tomorrow if you decide you want him to be your dance partner. We need to get back to the palace now.”

I sighed, then nodded. I was still so confused.

* * *

On our way back to the palace, a voice called out to me. “Princess Elizabeth!” I turned my head, and saw Prince Vince, Victor’s look alike, coming towards me carrying a small wooden box.

The box he was holding made me curious. “Hello, Prince Vince. How are you?”

Vince smiled boyishly at me. “I have a present for you.”

I smiled politely. Victor’s not exactly my favorite person, so I associated Vince with him. Maybe I wasn’t being fair. “Oh, thank you!” I took the box from his hands.

“Open it!” Vince urged.

I complied, flipping up the small metal clasp and prying open the wooden box. “Ah!” I cried out when silly string snakes and some other gooey substance popped out at me. I gritted my teeth as the sticky stuff clung to the waist of my pretty yellow dress. _Nope, he’s_ just _like Victor_ , I fumed. A twenty-one-year-old who acted like he was five, and a prince to boot. How quaint.

“Vince...” I began in a threatening tone.

Vince snickered and stuck out his tongue. Real mature. “Fooled ya! You should’ve seen your face.” With another laugh, he skipped away.

Kip shook his head. “Oh, dear...don’t worry, Princess. Prince Vince has always been like this. I’m sure the stains will come out...”

I let out a frustrated sigh and blew a stray bang from my eye. “I hope so...I don’t want the Princess to blame me for ruining one of her dresses when it wasn’t even my fault.”

* * *

As I lay in bed that night, I turned the situation of finding a partner over and over in my head. I did still have time to find a partner, and the only Prince that I had met who I was aware already had a partner was Klaus. I didn’t have to jump on Cesar just yet.

But still...thinking of his laughing hazel eyes, his charming smile, and deep voice, my heart pounded. Did I really want to find someone else? Cesar was great, and he would make an awesome partner for the ball. And...I sat up straight in my bed, and looked across the room to the vase of flowers on the dressing table, focusing in on the still perfect single rose. Did I really want someone else to be his partner?

Curling back under the covers and closing my eyes, I felt both nervous and confident at the same time.

I made my decision.

_To be continued..._


	4. ~Mix-Up at the Traveling Market!~

I squinted as I spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Through the light mist of the morning I couldn't quite make out his face, but the quickening of my heartbeat gave me a hint. The figure seemed to notice my presence, as he turned his head and began to walk towards me, causing my heartbeat to speed up even more. When I caught a glimpse of the pale reddish, almost mauve hair, I knew at once that my suspicions were correct–Prince Cesar was headed my way. Ordinarily I wasn't this nervous at the sight of the Prince; sure, he was handsome, and sweet, and thoughtful...but there was a reason that today Prince Cesar made butterflies take off in my stomach.

Cesar came to a stop a mere few steps in front of me, a smile lighting up his hazel eyes. Dressed in a light grey long-sleeved tunic with a black sleeveless vest buttoned over the top of it with charcoal grey pants and black boots, I couldn't help but notice that dark colors really suited him. I felt myself blushing at the thought.

"Good morning, Princess Elizabeth," Cesar greeted with the tiniest of bows. "What are you up to?"

"Good morning, Prince Cesar," I replied, trying to smile without appearing as nervous as I felt. I had rehearsed what I would say to him while I got ready for the day in front of my mirror. I just hadn't considered running into him this soon, this early. I was still groggy and not fully coherent. What if I sounded like an idiot? I chewed my lip. "I was just going for a stroll before it's time to practice. Er, speaking of practice, y'know, I had something I've been wanting to talk to you about..." the moment the words escaped my lips in a bumbling cascade I felt like kicking myself. How un-princess like could I possibly be?

Cesar's eyebrow lifted, which I took to mean he was curious about what I had to say. "Yes? What is it, Elizabeth?"

I tried to think of the best way to phrase it without sounding like a complete idiot. Steeling myself, I began, "First off, Cesar, I would like to apologize for turning you down previously." This was kind of difficult for me to phrase, seeing as how the real Princess Elizabeth, not I, had turned him down. But it had to be done.

He took a step closer, which was both encouraging and terrifying. "Oh?" He remarked, his tone unreadable.

I nodded nervously, wringing my hands. "I don't really know what I was thinking." Well, that part was true, at least. "I was just so nervous about dancing in front of all of those people, and so I said no without considering what I was doing, or–or your feelings." I couldn't hold his gaze anymore, which at this point had softened til his amber eyes almost looked like they were open flames. "I feel so bad about the whole thing, and dancing with you yesterday made me realize that you're the only one I could dance with. Would you give me another chance?"

Cesar stepped closer in a split second, so now our faces were only a few inches apart. "Elizabeth," he said, a small smile appearing on his face as he reached for my hands, "I'm so happy that you've changed your mind! I-"

"Princess! Wake up!"

A loud thumping suddenly filled my ears, and though he was only mere inches from me, and I saw his lips move, I couldn't make out what Cesar was saying. "I am so sorry–what?" Cesar seemed to chuckle, then began to repeat his answer, but the interference became so loud I couldn't make out a word of it.

"Princess! You've overslept! WAKE UP!"

I shot upright in bed. "Wha-" I exclaimed before I fully regained my conscious senses. Wait! Where did Cesar go? What had he said? Placing a hand to my chest, I glanced fervently around the room, and realization sunk in.

It was only a dream. I hadn't spoken to Cesar–I hadn't even woken up and started my day yet! I had only dreamed that I had hopped out of bed to the lovely sound of birds chirping, gotten dressed, rehearsed asking Cesar to be my partner in front of the mirror for what felt like forever, and then encountered him.

I blew a straw bang out of my face with a frustrated sigh. Of course the day hasn't started yet. Whenever I have something looming over me I dream about it several times before it actually happens. Usually by the time it _does_ happen I am so nervous from my constant internal rehearsals that I make a fool of myself. Or at least am so nervous I can barely think.

The rapping at the door fully woke me from my half-asleep state. "Princess! The traveling market is today! We have to get going soon, or we'll be completely behind schedule! And don't forget your dedicatory speech!"

"Okay, okay," I grumbled as I kicked my legs out from under my thick pink comforter. "Sheesh, sorry I slept so la-my WHAT?!"

Kip burst into the room, apparently viewing my outburst of surprise as an invitation. "Princess! I know you are still drowsy, but you can't have forgotten that you are giving a speech alongside your father, King Crown, this afternoon!"

My eyes, still filled with sleep, bugged out as far as they could manage at this hour.

Kip grasped the hilt of his magic wand and smiled nervously. "The speech?" he prodded. "The one I told you to rehearse last night?"

Seeing my look of sheer confusion and terror, Kip's mouth widened in horror before he practically shrieked, "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU COMPLETELY FORGOT?!"

I cringed, his high pitched voice making my ears feel like they were going to bleed. "Um, well, to be frankly honest, forgot isn't really the right word...I don't remember you saying anything about a speech at all."

Kip gasped, his jaw dropping and his mouth forming an upside down 'D.' I almost giggled, but then caught myself when I realized how horrible this situation was. "I am so sorry, Kip. I have just been so nervous about this whole dance competition, and whether or not I should ask Cesar to be my partner, and-"

This new information seemed to distract Kip from the current disaster for a moment. "Oh, have you made a decision about asking Prince Cesar to give you another chance?"

I nodded, striding over to the vanity and grabbing a hairbrush to try to tame my messy hair, trying to exude confidence."Yes. I am going to ask him to be my partner the next time I see him." _And hopefully he won't completely and utterly reject me._

In the reflection of the mirror I saw Kip nod his approval. "I think that's wonderful! You two would make excellent partners. I can tell you like Cesar very much, and he seems to feel the same."

I dropped my gaze, feeling my cheeks burn. Before I could say anything more, Kip prattled on, "But that is not the most important thing at hand. Today we must take care of the Traveling Market, and the Royal dedication! You must be prepared! The people and your father cannot become suspicious about you due to poor performance!" Kip suddenly stopped in his tracks, looking thoughtful. "Although, come to think of it, the real princess has never been very prepared for anything. A real slacker, that girl."

As I positioned a jeweled clip in my hair, I asked, feeling completely frazzled, "Why do _I_ have to make the speech with my father? Why can't my mother, you know, the Queen do it?"

Kip shook his head as if this was the most obvious answer in the world. "Because, princess, your mother is away in the River Kingdom hosting the gala of the nymphs!" Seeing my puzzled expression, (Nymphs? Seriously? That is so cool!) he sighed and continued, "If you had been listening last night this wouldn't be such a shock...I suppose I'll have one of the advisors help come up with something, and then you can add you own touch to it. We still have a few hours to prepare..." Adjusting the bow tie he wore around his neck, he cleared his throat and said, "Well, there is no time to waste! Be dressed and have eaten your breakfast..."

I turned and noticed three small floating chipmunks levitating a tray filled to the brim with toast, marmalade, oatmeal, pastries, poached eggs, cinnamon, sugar, bacon, waffles, and orange juice. I felt my mouth water and my stomach gave a tiny growl. Ah, this eating like a princess thing was fabulous.

"Within half an hour. We simply must get to the traveling market and thank everyone for coming to our kingdom!" Muttering to himself, he turned towards the door. "Oh! Yes, I almost forgot! Don't forget the new royal tiara! Your mother specifically requested that you wear it."

"Oh, should I put it on?" I asked as I reached for its floral patterned velvet box on the vanity.

"No, no, no!" Kip instructed, waving his little wand. "Not yet. We don't want your ceremonial attire getting sullied as you walk around the market. Just make sure to bring it with you so that we don't have to return to the palace before your speech." With that, he left the room.

I sighed. "I take it I'm not having a dance lesson today, at least not right off the bat." Reaching for some eyeliner, I frowned. If only Cesar were the least of my worries...

"Your highness? Would you like me to select a dress for you?" A tiny little voice piped up. I turned to see an adorable little white owl in a pink silk dress hovering near my armoire.

"Hm? Oh, yes, that would be very helpful, thank you!" I turned my attention back to my mirror, cringing at the mess my morning face and hair was. "Some princess you are," I muttered at my reflection.

* * *

After a good breakfast and the help of the royal attendants, I managed to appear in Samba square looking presentable and princess-like in a knee-length emerald green dress with a scooped neck and flower jewelry. I clutched a large green and gold purse, in which I had remembered to stuff the case which held the royal tiara before hurrying to meet Kip.

I looked around, surveying the usually bustling square to find an almost chaotic crowd of people milling about various outdoor stands which seemed to sell all sorts of products; mouth watering melons, pies, bottles of wine or cider, jewelry, hats, books, dresses, handbags, you name it, it was there.

"Wow," I breathed, wide eyed, "Does this happen every year?" I turned on my heel, trying to take it all in. I felt my lips spread into a grin. "I could get used to this kingdom."

"The Traveling Market visits our kingdom once each season," Kip answered, "And it is always extremely busy, so be careful not to get lost in the crowd."

I nodded, hoping that I wouldn't soon be groveling to Kip after losing my way.

We walked for a few minutes, Kip calling out every so often to describe to me in great detail the unfamiliar and exotic curios.

I slowed my steps as I approached a store that had "Genevieve's Magical Accessories" etched into the window pane. My eyes widened at the display of beautiful jewelry in vibrant colors that lit up the window.

"Ah, yes," Kip said, noticing my interest, "Madame Genevieve's Accessory Shop is native to Flower Kingdom, but during the Traveling Market she brings out some of her rarest items and lowers her prices considerably!"

Well, that settled it. I had to go in. Shouldering my bag, I hurried into the somewhat crowded shop.

"Welcome, Princess," a lovely middle-aged woman who I presumed was Genevieve greeted me. "We have many accessories for you to choose from, such as bows, ribbons, broaches, chokers, necklaces, and bracelets, all containing the magical component to allow you to transform your outfit into something truly splendid. Go ahead, look around!"

"Thank you!" I replied with a smile and curtsy. I wandered over to a small table which held an array of broaches on different cushions. "Are these all really magic?" I whispered to Kip.

Kip nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Yes! Just like the royal tiara, when you put on one of these items, your clothing will transform into a unique and elegant ensemble. Why don't you pick one out?" Seeing my surprised look, he added, "Even if you have a partner for the ball, you still must look your best with a lovely outfit. Go ahead and pick any item you want. All of Madame Genevieve's merchandise is at the height of fashion."

I nodded, pleased. "All right, then!" I circled the store. Everything was so gorgeous, it was going to be really difficult to select just one. A topaz ring caught my eye, and so did an emerald green choker. I skirted around a woman as I made my way to a necklace display. "Wow, it sure is getting crowded," I noted under my breath.

Suddenly a pink glint caught my eye. I turned slightly and saw just mere inches away a beautiful necklace, a pink-orange color that seemed to be made of shells. "Kip, I think I know what I want," I said as I reached out and lifted the necklace from the display...

And bumped right into another person!

"Oh!" I exclaimed in surprise as I looked up, still clutching the necklace in my hand, as I saw the person I had bumped into was a girl, probably around my age.

The girl looked at the now empty display and then to my hand. Her eyes widened and flashed in what seemed to be disappointment and annoyance. "Hey! I was going to get that! I was just reaching for it when you bumped into me!"

I gasped, feeling a rush of guilt. "Oh, my gosh! I am so sorry! Here, here take it, I can just get something else!"

The girl looked up from staring at the necklace in my hand and then did a double-take. "Oh, your highness!" She exclaimed in surprise. "No, no it's all right. I'll just pick something else out." Despite her words, however, her mood didn't seem to change completely; she seemed to become more composed, but remained upset. Was it because she was afraid of arguing with royalty?

I shook my head, holding the necklace out to her. "No, please take it. I just thought it was pretty, I can select something else."

Isabel looked tempted at first, but then crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I wouldn't think of it, Your Highness. I will just select another item within my price range." With that, she turned on her heel and left, her dark pink hair trailing after her.

I lowered my eyes and bit my lip, staring at the coral necklace in my hand. "Now I feel bad..."

Kip put a paw to my shoulder. "Don't feel too bad, Princess, you did all you could. That was Miss Isabel, daughter of Edmund Laurent, the owner of the local patisserie. His wife is a seamstress. She and the Princess are acquaintances, but they've never seemed to get along very well."

I furrowed my brow, still thinking about the encounter. _"I will just select another item within my price range."_ I knew exactly how she felt. Back home, my family wasn't exactly what you would call rich. I've had plenty of catty girls flaunt their expensive accessories and privileges in my face. I hadn’t even been able to afford studying abroad, like practically every other student at my school. But now, I was a Princess, at least for the time being. And Isabel was the one who had the budget and the limitations.

"Princess? Are you going to get that item?" Kip's squeaky voice interrupted my thoughts.

I sighed. "Well, since she refused to take it, I suppose I might as well."

When I brought my purchase to the counter, Madame Genevieve clapped her hands together. "Splendid choice! I hope you will be happy with the ensemble, Your Highness!"

I smiled. "I'm sure I will, thank you." As I fished the proper amount of coins out of the pink coin purse from my bag, I looked around to see what Isabel had chosen. When I couldn't seem to spot her in the shop anymore, I furrowed my brow, then handed Madame Genevieve the tender. _I guess she left,_ I thought, feeling bad.

As we left the shop, I tried to shake my feelings of guilt. After all, I _had_ insisted several times that she take it. She was probably too proud, and felt obligated to let the princess have her way.

After walking around for about twenty minutes, I caught sight of Vince at a nearby cart selling pastries. Still a bit miffed about the whole silly string incident, I turned around and started to walk in the other direction, praying he hadn't seen me.

"Good morning, Princess Elizabeth!"

I cringed, my shoulders tightening. No such luck. Plastering a pleasant smile on my face, I cleared my throat and turned back around. "Oh, hello Prince Vince."

"What are you up to?" He asked with a smile.

I shrugged. "Just enjoying the Traveling Market. And you?"

He lifted a delicious looking cinnamon bun slathered with whipped cream. "Same. You really should go get one of these. But I would be careful. It's a pretty hot day, and you don't have a parasol. You might get sunburned."

Kip lifted a paw to his mouth. "Oh, dear," he remarked, looking at the sky. "He may be right, Princess. Allow me to purchase a parasol for you!"

I cast a glance at the sun myself. It didn't _seem_ overly hot, and my skin didn't seem to be irritated in the least. I thought both of them were overreacting.

"That won't be necessary," Prince Vince said with a grin. "I just happen to have some sun block right here!" He pulled a long, flat yellow tube out of his pocket. "Go on, I have plenty!"

I narrowed my eyes at him warily. "I'm a Princess, I can handle a little sun, thank you very much."

Noticing my sarcasm, Kip whispered, "Princess! Don't be rude!"

I internally rolled my eyes at his scold. He didn't seem to grasp that Vince's intentions weren't always so innocent. "I mean, sure, Prince Vince, I'll gladly accept some sunscreen. Thank you." I reached for the bottle, hesitantly.

As I unscrewed the cap, I screamed as a rubber grasshopper popped out of the tube. Dropping the tube and cap to the ground, I placed a hand to my heart to steady my breathing.

"Haha!" Vince doubled over with laughter, pointing at me. "Gotcha!" He took off, laughing the whole way.

I grit my teeth. "Get back here!" Realizing it was a lost cause, I blew out a short, quick breath, ruffling one of my bangs.

"Oh, I am sorry, Princess," Kip said quietly, raising a tiny paw to his mouth, "I just assumed that he was offering you a kindness."

I waved my hand, laughing. "Oh, it's ok, Kip. I've already been the victim of Prince Vince's practical jokes. He's pretty much exactly like his counterpart in my world."

I walked on, stopping to admire a booth that displayed fine, silky scarves of varying lengths and colors. Kip suddenly said, "Princess, I am going to go talk to one of the guards for a moment. Please, I will be right back."When I turned to see where Kip had wandered to, my eyes caught a glimpse of a young man with wavy mauve hair in the distance. _Cesar...?_ I wondered to myself, my heart skipping a beat. Mumbling a good-bye to the vendor, I quickened my steps in his direction.

 _I didn't think I would see him so soon. All right, I_ hoped _I wouldn't see him this soon._ I slowed my steps. Did I _want_ to ask him right now? What if he was busy? What if that's not actually him? _What if I bother him?_ I looked down at my feet. _Or worse...what if he's with someone?_ When I finally dared to raise my eyes, they widened. Cesar was now nowhere to be seen! I slapped a hand down to my thigh. _Well, of course, I blew my chance. But maybe that wasn't really Cesar? He was pretty far away...and I might not have been able to catch up to him in this crowd, anyhow._

There suddenly were an awful lot of people. It was probably getting closer and closer to lunchtime. My stomach rumbled as if on cue. _Well, I guess I had better grab some food before all th_ e _stands get too crowded._

I stopped at a stand that was selling what appeared to be steaming hot meat pasties. Pulling out my coin purse, I payed the gentleman the proper amount of silver coins and thanked him. I took a step back to place my coin purse back inside the depths of my over-sized green shoulder bag.

I must have stepped too far, because I bumped into someone or something quite forcibly and lost my balance. My opened purse flew from my arms, as well as my food, and skittered away from me. The other girl's bag did the same, sliding across the cobblestoned ground.

"Oh, dear!" I exclaimed, lifting my head to see whom I had crashed into. "I'm terribly sorry, are you all right?"

The girl raised her head. Dark pink hair...it was Isabel!

She frowned a fraction when she saw it was me. "Oh, it's you, Princess. Please, don't worry about it. It's quite crowded here." I could sense the slight distaste in her voice despite her polite manner. She and I both stood. My eyes widened as I noticed that her stockings had a run in them, and her knee was bleeding, ever so slightly.

"Oh, my gosh!" I cried out, "I'm really sorry, are you ok? I can buy you some new tights! Do you need to visit the ladies' room and patch that scrape up?"

Isabel had already stooped to grab the contents of her purse. I realized I should do the same and followed suit, grabbing all the items I recognized. Isabel grabbed her belongings so fast that I wasn't sure what was hers and what was mine. "No, it's fine, Princess. I'm in a hurry, so I should be on my way now." She handed me my coin purse and then brushed past me, taking off in the opposite direction.

I bit my lip, reaching for the crumpled paper that held my now soiled pasty. I sighed, tossing it in the nearest trash bin.

"Princess!"

I turned my head to see Kip flying towards me, looking upset. "Are you all right? I saw from over there..."

I smiled. "I'm fine, Kip. I ran into Isabel again. Literally. I guess I had better buy a new meal."

The vendor had seen everything and offered to replace the meat pasty I had dropped, which I thought was quite nice of him.

When I had finished my meal, the butterflies that had burst out in my stomach after seeing Cesar, albeit from a distance, finally settled.

"Well, Princess, we can continue to walk around for another half hour or so, and then it's on to practice your speech! Luckily you brought the royal tiara with you, that way we've saved some time...

I nodded, wiping my mouth with a napkin before crumpling it and tossing it in the waste bin. Suddenly my heart stopped. _The tiara?!_ I halted my steps and slid the shoulder bag down my arm. Oh, no, no, no...my bag had felt a bit lighter since I bumped into Isabel...

I searched my purse _twice_ for the floral tiara case. No, no, it _had_ to be there. I remember that I searched the ground a few times before I left the area after Isabel and I crashed together, so that I wouldn't forget anything. Unless...

"Princess?" Kip asked, his small eyes widening behind his glasses. "W-what's wrong? What are you looking for...?" His tone seemed to suggest that he knew, he _knew_ exactly _what_ was missing.

"Oh, no." I felt hot suddenly, very hot and sick, like I always do when I am in a panic. And I was _definitely_ panicking now. "Kip?" I began, terrified of how he was going to take my news, "I think...well, the tiara is not here." Seeing his eyes widen and then narrow in an instant, I quickly said, "But I am sure I know where it is. Isabel must have grabbed it when our stuff spilled. She picked all of her stuff up really fast, so I think she wasn't paying attention. No one else was around, so I'm sure no one stole it..."

Kip sighed, looking frazzled. "Well, then, we had best find her as soon as possible. Which way did she go?"

I frantically looked to and fro. "I think she went towards that crowd that way, near the scarf stand." I pointed.

"All right, let's get moving!" Kip wasted no time, taking off faster than I'd ever seen him. Good thing I'd worn comfortable shoes. I broke into a run after his disappearing figure.

Moving swiftly through the crowd, apologizing to those I bumped into and skirting around the rest, I looked back and forth, trying to spot her dark pink hair. "Isabel!" I called. "Isabel, where did you go?" I muttered under my breath.

Suddenly I spotted a familiar face amidst the foreign in the crowd. "Kiefer!" I called out, rushing over to the Keith look-alike clad in a blue jacket. "Prince Kiefer," I said more calmly once I had reached him, giving a tiny curtsy. Kip saw me stop and floated over towards us.

Kiefer looked puzzled, adjusting his glasses. "Yes? You seem to be in a bit of a panic, Princess Elizabeth."

"Yes, well, I lost something very important, and I think my, er, friend has it. Have you seen a girl a little shorter than me with pink hair and a purple dress anywhere?"

"Hm..." Kiefer put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, I think I did."

"You did?" I squealed. Seeing his look of distaste, I tried to remain calm. "I mean, would you mind telling us where she went?"

"It seemed to me that she was headed towards Jive Park." He replied, casting his eyes to the side as if he was extremely bored.

I looked at Kip, who gave a quick nod to tell me he knew where that was. "All right, thanks!" I called to him, running after Kip. Probably not very princess-like, but I didn't care at that moment.

As we made our way to the nearby park, I whipped my head back and forth to make sure I didn't miss Isabel on the way. I slowed my steps as we reached the center of the rose garden, my heels clacking against the cobblestone. I leaned forward to catch my breath, massaging a stitch in my side.

"I don't think she's here..." Kip said with a sigh, his head drooping.

"Excuse me, but aren't you Princess Elizabeth?"

I lifted my head at the voice, and turned to see Prince Klaus standing a few feet behind me. "It appears like you're looking for someone."

"Oh, Prince Klaus! Hello," I replied, giving a small curtsy. "Actually, yes, I am." I launched into a quick tale of what happened with Isabel. "And, you see, I need to tiara to give my speech that's just in an hour!"

Klaus' eyebrows crinkled in concern. "Why, that's terrible! Shall I help you look?"

I smiled, genuinely surprised and happy. "Oh, would you? That would be fantastic! Are you sure you don't mind?"

Klaus' green eyes shone with kindness as he smiled. "Not at all. I actually know your kingdom pretty well, so I should be able to help you look swiftly."

I smiled and nodded at him as way of thanks. _Wow, that's lucky...bu_ t _sort of weird...oh, well._

"Let's go back to Samba Square. We'll comb the area, then head to the coast if we are still unsuccessful."

We walked along quickly, making small talk along the way. As popular as Klaus seemed to be, he was surprisingly easy to talk to, and really nice.

Klaus slowed his steps near the produce stands. "Hello, Prince Liam!" he called out. I saw the green-haired prince admiring some flowers in front of one of the carts, holding a shopping bag.

He stood up and smiled at us. "Oh. Princess Elizabeth, Prince Klaus. Good afternoon to you both."

"Good afternoon, Prince Liam," I replied, bowing my head slightly. "We actually have a bit of a problem. Have you seen a young woman with pink hair?" I explained to him what had happened.

Liam frowned. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen her...I've just come to the market to pick up some things for dinner. Onions, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots..." he stopped looking through his bag and frowned. "Hey, wait a second. The carrots are missing!"

Klaus knit his eyebrows in confusion. "First the tiara, now the carrots? What a day this has been! Where could they be?"

"Your carrots are missing? When did you last see them?" I looked around, then stopped when I heard a suspicious crunching noise. "Wait a minute...Kip, isn't that a carrot you're eating?!"

Liam turned to look at Kip, whom we caught red-handed with a carrot in his tiny paws, mid-way through another bite. Kip lowered the carrot and looked distressed, waving his head back and forth. "I-I'm sorry! I found them on the ground over there! I was so hungry, we've been running around. I didn't know they were yours..."

I immediately felt bad for scolding him, my face softening.

Liam smiled, his entire face softening in an instant. "Oh, that's quite all right. You go ahead and keep the rest. Enjoy!"

"Thanks, Liam." I said with a smile.

Kip's face lit up with surprise. "Oh...thank you!" He took another happy chomp.

Looking between Liam and me, Klaus said suddenly in an irritated voice, "Elizabeth, we don't have time for this!"

His tone surprised me, and I looked at him in confusion.

Kip snapped out of his hungry stupor. "Oh, he's right, Princess, we must find Isabel!"

With Klaus and Kip pushing me along, I hurriedly said goodbye to Liam. "Thanks for the food!" Kip called as we raced off.

"Let's go check out the beach!" Klaus said in a rush, seeming even more eager to find the tiara than I was. I quickened my pace. _Hopefully if we find the tiara it will take care of how sweaty and icky I'm getting,_ I thought. Casting a glance at Klaus, he turned to me and smiled, his green eyes crinkling. _It's really nice of him to help me like this._ I smiled back.

When we reached the dark wood stained docks that overlooked the pure, sandy beaches and the gently lapping waves of the ocean, I took in a breath. _It's so beautiful. This has to be the most beautiful beach I've ever seen in my entire life! Better not act surprised, though,_ I noted, _After all, I_ am _supposed to have been living here my entire life._

Klaus squared his shoulders, lifting a hand to shield his eyes from the sun and scan the coast. There were several people on the docks as well as on the sand, but no one with pink hair. I sighed. _Isabel...where did you get to?_ I wondered in frustration.

I turned my head to look at all of the different shops and restaurants that lined the long boardwalk. Maybe she was in one of those places? My heart skipped a beat when someone exited one of the smaller buildings, which appeared to be a café. _Cesar!_ I thought, and couldn't decide if the butterflies that exploded in my stomach were pleased or panicked. A little of both, perhaps.

Lifting his head, our eyes met, and to my surprise and, dare I admit it, sheer delight, his face lit up with a smile. "Why, good afternoon, Elizabeth. What a pleasant surprise this is!" He offered a small bow.

"Good day, Prince Cesar," I greeted him with what I hoped was a graceful curtsy.

"I don't see her anywhere, Elizabeth." Klaus said, reappearing at my side.

Cesar turned his gaze to Klaus and his smile instantly faded. "Hello, Klaus," he said stiffly, his eyes no longer friendly. "What are you two up to?"

 _Whoa_ , I thought, _What's with the change of attitude?_ I glanced at Klaus, who seemed every bit as agitated as Cesar. "Hello, Cesar. Elizabeth and I are looking for someone," he replied curtly.

"Oh?" Cesar seemed interested, but still on guard.

 _What the heck? Do these guys not like each other or something?_ Seeing Cesar's curious look, I quickly filled him in. "Yes, I need to find a girl, about twenty or so, with long, dark pink hair? Her name is Isabel."

I don't know if it was something I said or did, but Cesar's face suddenly softened, just a little. I felt a pang of something. _Is he thinking of Isabel? Does he know her? Did her name create this change in attitude_?

"Is something wrong? You seem desperate to find her." Cesar said gently, placing a hand to my shoulder.

My heart sped up. _Oh. Oh! He wasn't thinking of Isabel...he was worried about me!_

I opened my mouth to tell him everything that happened this morning, when Klaus suddenly said, with that hard edge still present in his tone, "Yes. Isabel has something that Elizabeth needs. She walked off with it."

Cesar knit his brow, and to my disappointment, took a step back from me. "She _stole_ it?" He asked, and I wasn't sure if the harsh undertone was due to Klaus basically inserting himself in front of me, or the information he'd given.

"No!" I said hurriedly, giving Klaus an irritated look. What was _up_ with him, anyway?"We crashed into each other earlier at the market and our things got mixed up. The royal tiara was in a case in my purse, and I think she picked it up by mistake when it fell. I have to give a speech in..." I trailed off.

"About half an hour," Kip said crisply, startling me. I had almost forgotten that he was with us.

"Yeah," I said, dropping my eyes. "My mother specifically instructed me to wear it, and if I show up without it, I'll be in _big trouble._ "

Cesar put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I _think_ I saw someone who matches your description."

"You _think_?" Klaus snapped, narrowing his green eyes. I gave him an incredulous look. What was _wrong_ with these two?

Cesar set his jaw. "There was a young woman with long pink hair headed towards Viennese Waltz Lake not ten minutes ago. Do you want me to-"

"You hear that? It must be Isabel. Let's go, Elizabeth." Klaus interrupted, then turned on his heel and headed down the dock. I looked at him, then turned back to Cesar. "Um, sorry about that, Cesar. I guess he's more in a rush than I am. Thanks so much for your help, Cesar."

He looked at Klaus' retreating figure, then again at me. "Good luck." He said, not completely without a smile but lacking his usual warmth.

"Thank you!" I called as Kip and I took off after Klaus.

"Yes, thank you!" Kip added.

As Klaus, Kip and I raced towards the Lake, I thought back to the encounter I had just witnessed. _I don't get it, why were two usually polite princes so rude and cold towards each other?_ _And I didn't get the chance to ask Cesar if he would be my partner..._ I tried not to think about it as we approached the grassy clearing that banked the crystal blue waters of the lake. _This kingdom sure is gorgeous,_ I thought.

"Oi! Prince Luciano!" Klaus called out to the tall, dark-haired young man who stood staring out at the glassy body of water.

Luciano turned, his amber eyes locking with mine for one brief moment. "Yes?" he asked, seeming bored. "What brings you to the ocean shore, Prince Klaus?"

He still hadn't acknowledged me yet, even though I _know_ he had seen me. _How rude,_ I huffed.

"The ocean?" Klaus asked me, under his breath so only I would hear, "What's with that? Doesn't he know this is just a lake?"

I shook my head, trying to shush him. If he was anything like Lucas, pointing out his mistakes would just make him mad, and then he wouldn't ever help us, even if he could have. "Oh, you're right, Prince Luciano," I told him, putting on a cheerful air, "the ocean is _so_ beautiful!"

Luciano seemed surprised that I spoke. He took me in with his eyes as if he really _was_ seeing me for the first time. "You're...Princess Elizabeth, right? Yeah!" he added with a cheerful nod, "The ocean _is_ really great! You're so lucky to have such a beautiful ocean right by your castle. I'm from an ocean side kingdom myself. But," he began, furrowing his brow as if something was troubling him, "This ocean is strangely calm...almost like a lake, in fact..."

I tried to hold back my laughter. This Prince was sort of cute!

"Is this guy for real?" Klaus muttered under his breath.

I smiled. "Well, Prince Luciano, we hate to disturb your, er, enjoying the ocean view, but have you seen a young woman with long pink hair anywhere around here? It's really important that we find her." I added.

"Hm..." he began thoughtfully, his eyes starting to space out.

"Have you or not?" Klaus broke in, impatient.

Luciano snapped his fingers. "I did."

"Really? Where? When?" I asked, feeling desperate. We just _had_ to find her, soon!

"Well, it was a few minutes before you guys got here. I'm not sure what she was up to, but I think she said she needed to go to Practice Hall."

I grinned. "Thanks for your help, Prince Luciano. Prince Klaus!" I nodded towards my companion, "To Practice Hall!"

As we raced to the square and up the cobblestone path, Kip said, out of breath, "I do hope she's there! We're running out of time!

 _Please may she be there! And please may she have my tiara!_ I prayed silently.

The three of us when we reached the door exchanged glances before Klaus roughly turned the knob and flung the door open.

Standing in the entranceway were Tony the talking rabbit and Isabel. They had seemed to be engaged in an animated conversation, but stopped and stared at our abrupt entrance.

"Oh, Isabel! Thank goodness!" I cried out.

Isabel looked at me carefully, as if she was nervous.

Tony turned to me. "Ah, Princess Elizabeth. Isabel seemed to have found herself in a dilemma. She was trying to find you to return this, which she took by mistake earlier." He lifted his palm, which balanced the floral case that held the Royal Tiara.

"Oh, thank you!" I exclaimed, coming forward and taking it from his paw. "I'm so glad we found each other before my speech, Isabel!" Seeing Isabel's face, which instead of looking pleasant or even somewhat happy, looked uncomfortable. "Um," I began, looking at Klaus and Kip, then Tony, "Could you give us a minute?"

Tony bowed his head slightly. "Of course, your highness." He left, retreating down a long hall.

Kip adjusted his glasses. "The Prince and I will wait for you outside."

Once the door clicked shut, Isabel looked at me and said quickly, "I didn't steal it, I promise! I didn't pick it up on purpose, I thought it was mine! I was just-" she looked down at her feet. "I was trying to find you. When I realized that I had it, I backtracked to where we had bumped into each other, but I couldn't find you anywhere."

"I was looking for you too," I said with a laugh, "And _of course_ you didn't steal it. I didn't think that for a minute!"

"Really?" Isabel asked carefully, looking almost as if she didn't trust me. Maybe she and the Princess didn't get along, but she seemed nice enough to me.

"Of course!" I smiled at her. "I really appreciate you taking the time to track me down. My parents would've gotten really mad if I hadn't worn it this afternoon." I held up the case. "I'm really sorry about the necklace thing earlier. Can't we be friends?"

"...Friends?" Isabel took a deep breath. "It's just that–people are always blaming me for things, because I'm from a poor family...it's hard for me to make friends. Besides, I thought you didn't like me. You've never been all that nice to me before. I guess I just don't really know."

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could she pushed past me and ran out the door. I saw Klaus and Kip stare after her through the open doors.

"Well," Klaus said to me as I approached him, deciding not to comment on Isabel, "At least you got the tiara back." I nodded, still a bit upset by Isabel's behavior. _Sorry the real princess isn't very nice,_ I mentally apologized to no one in particular.

"And with no time to spare!" Kip said, waving his wand. "We must hurry!"

As we returned to the square, Klaus asked, "So, Princess, what's so special about this tiara, anyway? Just sentimental value, or-?"

I grinned, looking at him out of the corner of my eye. "No, but it _does_ have magical powers." I teased.

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? Like what?"

I winked. "You can fly!" _I don't really feel like sharing all of my secrets with Klaus,_ I decided, not really sure why I didn't feel completely comfortable.

Klaus laughed, deep and robust sounding. "You're such a kidder. Well, Princess, this is where I take my leave. You had better get ready for your speech."

I smiled and curtsied. "Thanks for everything."

He gave a little bow, and then left.

"Princess?" Kip, at my elbow, spoke up. "Here is your speech. You still have about ten minutes. You can get changed, then look over your speech, and add your own life to it."

I nodded, trying to calm my nerves. "Okay."

I headed into the tent set up for the royal family, located behind the wooden outdoor stage that was set up. Looking around the lavish interior of the tent, I realized I was alone, and so I pulled out the tiara and placed it on top of my disheveled hair. I felt the magic, like a slight spark at first, take over my body from head to toe, until I was dressed in the pink ball gown from the other night, my green flats now suddenly matching pink heels. I looked in the mirror of the vanity in the center of the tent. "Ah, thank goodness for magic tiaras. I was _so_ sweaty before. Now I'm good as new." I lifted a brush from the dressing table and ran it through my now-smooth and glossy hair. I quickly fixed my make-up before I lifted the small cream papers Kip had thrust in my hands before. The speech wasn't _too_ long; it basically was just meant for me to re-assert my father's welcoming of the Traveling Market and a review of the events that were to come for the following month, ending in the Grand Ball. I took a deep breath. _You can do this. You can do this._ _It's not like you'll know anyone here, anyway._ Then I had a terrifying thought. What if the princes were in the crowd? Liam? Klaus? Cesar? I bit my lip. I needed to find a partner, and I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of the future monarchs of the surrounding kingdoms! Especially since most of them were so cute, and nice...I sighed, and looked my reflection straight in the eye. "No. You can and you _will_ do this. No turning back. It'll be fine."

* * *

I took a shaky breath, trying to calm down my pounding heart as I returned to the Royal tent almost an hour later. The ceremony was over, and I actually think I did a pretty good job at my speech. My "father," the King, had beamed at me when I was finished, and the crowd seemed pleased with what I had said. Now, according to Kip, I just had to do a short meet and greet before heading back to the palace for a brief rest and then other princess lessons. I sighed. This day seemed _so_ long already, I couldn't wait for it to be over.

I looked in the mirror to make sure everything was in check and brushed my hair one last time before again exiting the tent. _I hope people won't ask too many questions,_ I thought, _I don't want to get in over my head. I'm still new at this whole princess thing._

I walked towards the throng of people, wringing my hands but trying to remain calm.

"Princess!" I turned at the voice. It was Liam, his green eyes gentle with a smile. "You did an excellent job. I look forward especially to the Flower Expo."

"Thank you, Prince Liam. I am sure it will be wonderful. I love looking at all of the flowers!"

Suddenly, someone called Liam's name in the distance. He gave me an apologetic smile. "I suppose I must run. Take care, Princess!"

"Good day, Prince Liam!" I walked on, smiling and chatting with those who stopped me. Luckily, I didn't, get asked anything that made me fumble, at least not too much. Finally, the crowd had thinned a little bit, when I saw someone in the center of the throng, who lifted a hand in greeting. _Cesar!_ I thought, biting my lip. His lips spread into a grin, and I couldn't help but feel a pang as I noticed, for the second time that day, how handsome he looked in the white button-down shirt that he wore. As I began to make my way over to him, someone blocked him from my view. My heart stopped.

A young woman, about my age, I supposed, had appeared out of the crowd, her red-gold hair trailing halfway down the back of her blue silk dress. I noticed Cesar's eyes widen slightly as she said something, then he appeared to laugh. She laughed too, a bit exaggeratedly, I thought bitterly, as she placed a hand on his forearm.

I'd seen enough. I turned on my heel, and began to walk as quickly as possible away from the pair. _I wonder who she was? She was really pretty. Not that it matters._ I argued with my own subconscious stubbornly. _What would he see in a pretty, tall, young lady with beautiful hair and perfect features?_ I didn't know what was happening between them, but I tried not to care. Maybe they were old friends? Maybe she was just a girl from the village, flirting with a handsome young prince? I felt my eyes sting with hot tears. _I refuse to cry. Princesses do_ not _cry in public, especially over guys they barely know._

"Princess Elizabeth? Are you all right?"

I looked to my right to see Prince Klaus had appeared out of nowhere, and was peering at my face in concern. "Did something happen?" he asked softly, placing a hand to my elbow.

"Oh, Prince Klaus," I said quickly, "It's nothing, I'm–I'm just a little tired." I cast a glance back at Cesar. My heart missed a beat when I realized he was looking at me too, but he quickly looked away when our eyes met.

"Oh. Well, you gave a wonderful speech." He said with a smile.

I forced a small smile. "Thank you. Actually, if you don't mind, I think I will, um, return to the castle. I have a lot more duties to tend to for the day."

"Oh." He seemed surprised by my abrupt choice, but immediately recovered. "Certainly, your highness. I hope the rest of your day is lovely." He gave a little bow.

I nodded with a tiny smile and walked away quickly, trying to calm my racing thoughts. I just needed to rest. I just needed to think. I guess I wasn't going to get to ask Cesar to be my partner now...would it have even made any difference? I felt one lone tear trickle down my face, and quickly wiped it. "Princesses don't cry in public," I repeated to myself as I made the journey back to the palace.

_To be continued..._


	5. ~Will You...?~

“Good morning, Tony!” I said with a smile as I entered the dance room of Practice Hall. After the hectic time I’d had the day before with the Traveling Market, I was ready to jump back in and learn more Ballroom Dance steps.

Tony gave a little bow. “Good day, Princess Elizabeth. I hope you like the lesson I have in store for you today. I think that you have mastered the Waltz beautifully, especially after conferring with Prince Cesar...”

My heartbeat sped up. Tony “conferred” with Cesar? What had he said? Well, apparently nice things, because Tony thinks I’ve mastered it! I hoped Tony didn’t notice the blood rushing to my face.

He didn’t. “And so, I think it is time for us to move on to the Foxtrot. This is a simple and yet wonderful dance, a bit similar to the Waltz, so I think you will have no trouble picking up the steps. We will start in the closed position...”

I nodded, placing my left hand on Tony’s shoulder and holding out my right hand for him to clasp.

“Now,” he went on, “The rhythm is a little different. We will start off with the basic Foxtrot, which is also a three step pattern. Now, the gentlemen first steps forward with his left foot, while the lady steps backwards with her right. So, I will be traveling forward for this segment, and you will be traveling backwards. The dance has variations like the waltz, such as turning, but we can also travel to the side. The basic pattern we will focus on for now goes like this: ‘Quick, quick, slow.’ Now, let’s try it.”

I nodded again, taking a deep breath. He clapped, and the phonograph started. Assuming the closed position once more, he counted the beats and then stepped forward with his left foot. “Let us begin. Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick slow. Very good.”

I smiled. This music was so cheerful! The pattern really fit. As the music went on, I found myself growing more accustomed to the steps.

“Wonderful! Now, depending on the variations in the music, you can add a fourth beat to this pattern, which is a hesitation. The pause in the footwork adds drama to the dance. Now, let us try it. Quick, quick, slow. Hesitate.” I stopped in my tracks at the cue. “Good! Now, remember to include it naturally in the footwork. It is an elegant pause rather than a sudden stop. Quick, quick, slow. Hesitate.”

We danced for several more minutes, practicing the pattern over and over as we made a large circle around the room. Tony then tapped the side of my rib cage where his hand had been resting and slowed his steps. “Excellent. Now, let us move on to a different pattern. The Foxtrot can be danced to many different types of music, and so there are several routines that build the foundation of this dance. Let’s try this variation: Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.”

It was pretty hard to try going slow at first, then quick, after we had just practiced for a half hour the opposite way. “Sorry,” I stammered as I messed up the count and caused Tony to stumble into me.

He chuckled. “It is quite all right, Your Highness. Just count the pattern under your breath. It is helpful to listen to the music as well. Once you’ve gotten the hang of it, the rhythm of the music and the different patterns of the dance will automatically fit together for you.”

“Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow,” I mumbled under my breath as we continued around the room. After awhile it seemed as natural to me as the first pattern.

“Wonderful, Princess!” Tony praised me with a smile.

I smiled back. These dance lessons were so much fun, and Tony was such an encouraging instructor. We practiced the routine for a while longer, then we began to mix the two patterns to match the music.

Soon our scheduled time was up. Tony released my hand and stepped back, nodding slowly.

“Thank you very much for the dance lesson!” I said to Tony as I gave a small curtsy.

Tony bowed deeply with a smile. “The pleasure was mine, Your Highness.”

With a wave, I hurried out of Practice Hall. Kip trailed behind me. “A very splendid practice, Princess,” he said when he’d caught up to me.

I smiled. I had really enjoyed that lesson. “Thank you, Kip!”

“Now if we could just find you a partner,” Kip continued merrily, “I am sure you would win the Dance Competition!”

I bristled. Why did he have to bring that up? Hadn’t I been trying? I hadn’t seen Cesar since yesterday afternoon, after the ceremony, when he had been talking to...that girl.

I sighed, trying not to lose my confidence. I was _still_ going to ask Cesar. That girl probably was nobody...but I still was sort of hoping I didn’t run into Cesar. While I wanted him to be my partner, I _really_ was too nervous to actually ask him. “I know, Kip,” I said at last in defeat.

Kip nodded, not seeming to notice my pensive mood. “In one hour you have your history lesson, then after that, etiquette, then a break for luncheon, then you have to meet with the Duchess of Sunbeam Heights, and don’t forget tonight we are having a special banquet for your mother, who will be returning from the River Kingdom this afternoon.”

“Oh, and your weekly horseback riding lesson is today at 2:30 PM,” he added.

My heart sped up and I stared at Kip, wide-eyed. I was getting a horseback riding lesson? The Princess got them _weekly_?

Kip seemed to take my expression to mean I was nervous.  “Now, as this can be a bit dangerous to the novice, I must ask, do you have any experience around horses? Any riding?”

I had to conceal a grin so as not to look like a maniac. I knew a _lot_ about horses. I had read all the books, seen all the tv shows, all the specials on Animal Planet, and I even had a subscription to _Horse & Rider_. Now, had I ever had professional lessons? Not exactly. Some friends of my Dad had several horses, so they had given me a few riding and grooming lessons, but I’d never gotten past a trot. “I do have some experience. I wouldn’t say I’m past beginner, however. Mounting, dismounting, grooming, handling the reigns for walking and trotting is basically all that I know.”

Kip frowned, looking thoughtful. “No dressage experience, then?” He asked.

I made a face. I personally never liked dressage. Well, to be honest, I hadn’t ever tried it, but to me it just seemed hard and silly.

Kip narrowed his eyes at me, lowering his glasses so I could see the full effect. I quickly replied, “Well, not really, but, um, I am a fast learner!”

Kip sighed and nodded. “It’ll have to do, I’m afraid. The real Princess is fully trained in dressage, but her horse, Aurora, is very agreeable, and wonderful with riders of all levels. I’m sure with proper tutelage you will pick it up in no time...”

I had to bite my lip to conceal a squeal. A real horse, all for me! Well, at least for the time being! And Aurora...that meant she was a girl...and what a pretty name. I couldn’t _wait_ to meet her!

 “...At least well enough to pass off as the real Princess,” Kip went on. “I must say, you’ve done very well in all of your lessons thus far. Much better than the Princess, in fact.”

I couldn’t help but preen a bit at this compliment. I did take my grades very seriously. And, I had to admit, almost all the lessons I’d had so far, like Astronomy, Botany, and Writing and Rhetoric, were a lot of fun! They were different then my classes back home. I just hoped the Princess was doing okay in _my_ classes...

We approached the castle gardens, the heels of my dress shoes making a satisfying _clack_ against the carefully laid cobblestones. I inhaled deeply as I passed a beautiful rose bush with pink, yellow, and purple buds. _Purple roses...who knew?_ It smelled divine.

“And now let me review tomorrow’s schedule...so there are no _ahem_ ,” Kip cleared his throat and gave me a nervous look, “ _Surprises_.”

I smiled sheepishly, knowing that he was referring to how I had forgotten about the dedicatory speech the day before. “All right, go ahead, I’m listening.”

Kip produced a tiny scroll from inside his vest. “After breakfast at 8:15 AM, you have your dance lesson at 9:00 sharp. Then it’s back to the castle for your mathematics lesson, and then Writing and Rhetoric. Then you are free from noon until 3 O’clock, when you will be expected to meet with your mother for afternoon tea, with the standard lesson, of course.”

I nodded, trying to process and remember everything he was saying. _Standard lesson on how to serve tea?_ I wondered. It made sense, I suppose, being a Princess and all. Princesses were probably expected to host many types of gatherings with poise and grace.

“Then after tea time you will have your Botany lesson, and then you will have your study time in the library until dinner. After dinner with the Royal Family, you will be free for the evening.”

I let out a rushed breath. Being a princess was just as tiring as college. Nay, moreso. I lifted my hands to my face and gave my cheeks a couple quick slaps to keep myself alert. I could do this. When I lifted my eyes to look ahead of me, my heart skipped a beat.

Cesar was walking not twenty feet in front of me, passing the ornate fountain that ordained the lovely scenery of the gardens.

My heart thumping loudly in my ears, I swallowed hard. As much as the thought of asking him made me nervous, I had to do it. I was a Princess now, at least for the time being. I could do it! It was now or never...

“Cesar!” I called, hoping my voice didn’t come out too loud or squeaky sounding. My heart sank when he didn’t react. Maybe he hadn’t heard me because of the fountain. I quickened my steps, praying I didn’t trip, or come across as some crazed stalker. “Cesar!” I said again, this time a little louder, crossing my fingers.

He must have heard me that time, because he slowed his steps and turned his head. I gave him a shy little wave, and my heart jumped in my chest when he smiled at me in reply.

I hurried my steps to make it over to him, noticing appreciatively that Kip was lagging behind, suddenly very interested in inspecting a rose bush.

“Good morning, Prince Cesar,” I said a bit breathlessly when I reached him, carefully smoothing the skirt of my pink dress. “How are you today?”

Cesar smiled. “I am very well, thank you.” His gaze suddenly swept past me. “I, er, notice that Prince Klaus is not accompanying you today.”

Something about his tone was different than his usual manner. He sounded...stiff, almost mad. What was up with him and Klaus? I found myself wondering again. And why did he bring that up? Wait a second! Was he...jealous?

I shrugged, still a little confused. I couldn’t let myself believe that he was jealous...why would he be? He didn’t like me or anything... “Why would Klaus be with me? He just wanted to help me find my tiara, then he went on his way.”

Cesar’s expression changed at this news. He seemed...happy? Happy why? Because I didn’t seem to want to be with Klaus all the time? Maybe he _was_ jealous. _Or maybe you’re reading too much into it,_ an inner voice chided. _Don’t be so vain._

“Well, then...what are you up to, Princess Elizabeth? Lovely day, isn’t it?” He said cheerfully, indicating the rose bushes with a wave of his hand.

I nodded, then nervously wrung my hands together. “Yes, yes it is. Um, actually, Cesar–I wanted to ask you something.” Seeing his curious look, I continued, much like I had rehearsed and even dreamt about, “I–I know that I turned you down before when you asked me, and I don’t know why I did that, really–but, I’ve been thinking, especially since we danced the other day...” My mouth felt dry and sticky. Cesar was staring at me, his eyes suddenly a little wider than they had been. _Oh, my gosh, just spit it out! He’s going to think you’re an idiot!_ I chided myself. “...that maybe I was just afraid, and so...”

Cesar, his expression still unreadable, opened his mouth like he was going to interrupt, but I quickly held up my hand. “I’m sorry, I really need to get this out. I–I would love to dance in the competition with you,” I dropped my gaze to the cobble stone under my feet, unable to look him in the eyes any longer. “Please forgive me for turning you down before. Will you be my partner?”

A moment passed where neither of us said anything, and I could hear a bird chirping in the distance. Why wasn’t he answering? The silence seemed to go on forever...

At last, I dared to lift my eyes. Cesar’s eyes in turn locked with mine. His expression was finally readable–I thought he was happy at first, then suddenly his eyes clouded and he seemed to become sad. "Elizabeth, I would like nothing more than to be your partner. But unfortunately, I can't. You see, Princess Adrianna of the Wyvern Kingdom asked me to be her partner a few days ago. And...I accepted."

My heart sank, and I shook my head. Was this Princess Adrianna the one who was talking to him yesterday? That would make perfect sense. The real Princess had rejected him, so he’d decided to go with a nicer, more beautiful, more talented princess who appreciated him. Of course. I was such an idiot. I didn’t want him to know how miserable I was feeling, however, so I tried to play it off. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry, I didn't know." I stammered as I started to back away, biting my lip.

To my surprise he took a sudden step towards me, his hazel eyes shining with concern. "No, please, Elizabeth! I didn't know you'd...had a change of heart, believe me. I would love to be your partner! Especially after we danced together at Practice Hall. I realized that I...” He trailed off and shook his head quickly then, and instead said, “It was wonderful...But it was also too late--I'd already accepted Princess Adrianna’s offer."

Oh...! So he _hadn’t_ just been snagged yesterday? I suppose it wasn’t entirely my fault, then. I hadn’t blown my chance. It’s just, when I realized we would have been a good dance match, it was too late. I nodded, trying to not sound as shaky as I felt. "No, of course. I completely understand. I wish you both the best of luck. I-I’m sorry to have bothered you.” I curtsied and bowed my head, trying to act gracious even though I felt embarrassed and disappointed. Then I started to turn away, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

He surprised me again by reaching out suddenly and grabbing my hand, causing me to spin around and face him once more. "Wait, Elizabeth!" My eyes widened as I held my breath, waiting for him to continue. I was very aware of his hold on my hand, which was warm like the gentle flame from a flickering candle. What was he going to say? My cheeks grew warm as I took in the determination on his face, which was mixed with something else, something I couldn’t quite place.

"Um...” he began, clearing his throat, looking nervous and shuffling his feet, but never relinquishing my hand, which caused my heart to speed up. “I've been wanting to ask you...I’m not sure about what your answer will be, but I’ve grown hopeful...”

I felt my breath hitch in my throat. _Don’t get your hopes up, don’t get your hopes up,_ I warned myself. What was he going to ask?

“That is, Elizabeth...would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked in a bit of a rush, his hazel eyes crinkling as he lifted an inquiring eyebrow.

I stared at him in shock. Had I heard him right? He couldn’t be asking me on an actual date, could he...? "A date?" I asked intelligently, mentally kicking myself when the words left my mouth.

Cesar dropped his gaze from mine, probably discouraged by my stupid question.  "I...”

I wanted to scream. Was he going to change his mind because he thought I didn’t want to go out with him? I did! I _did!_

“I don't mean to presume...” he continued, swallowing hard and lifting his eyes to meet mine once again, “But I would like to still see you, even if we can't be partners...but I'm sure one so beautiful as yourself wouldn't-"

"I'd love to!" I burst out, interrupting him. I couldn’t let him talk himself out of asking me!

Cesar’s eyes widened, and his lips spread into a slow, uncertain grin. "Y-you would? Would you be free for lunch tomorrow, at noon?”

I quickly scanned my memory for the schedule Kip had just read off to me, hoping I could remember right, then nodded. "I'm free for a few hours after that."

He grinned again, this time the smile reaching his eyes. "Wonderful! I shall meet you outside Waltz Castle at 12 PM, and then perhaps after lunch we could take a walk along the beach?"

I nodded, dazed and unbelieving. "That sounds great!"

"Well, I must be off now, but until then!" He bowed to kiss the hand he was still holding.

I felt myself blush, unable to conceal my smile.

Cesar then let go of my hand, and with a smile and a little wave, he turned and went on his way.

I walked slowly back towards Kip, who looked up from the rose bush he’d been staring intently at and (I presumed) pretending to take notes on. “Ah, Princess! How did it go?” He smiled hopefully. “You seem happy!”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Well, it turns out he’s already accepted someone else’s offer, so he can't be my partner...” My good mood sullied a bit when I admitted this out loud, “But we have a date tomorrow!"

Kip smiled. “That is wonderful, Princess. But...you still need to find a partner...and will it upset you to not dance with Cesar?"

I wasn’t sure. Who would I dance with? Klaus had a partner, Vince was annoying, Kiefer was just mean...All I knew was that even though we couldn't be partners, he hasn't rejected me and he liked me back! I wasn’t going to try and fool myself, I really, actually had feelings for Cesar. Even if we couldn’t be partners, I wasn’t imagining things!

_What will I wear?_ I thought nervously, pulling on a strand of my hair. Well, I was lucky enough to have a huge closet filled with beautiful clothes exactly my size, so that was something.

“Princess?” Kip interrupted my thoughts.

“Hm...?” I looked at him blankly.

“Forgive me, but we will be late for your history lesson if we just stand about...” Kip told me, glancing at his pocket watch.

My eyes widened and I gasped. “Oh, my gosh! I’m sorry!” I broke into a run towards the castle.

* * *

“Great job, girl,” I murmured as I leaned over and patted the side of Aurora’s sleek brown neck. I was in the middle of my horseback riding lesson and I...was...loving it! My instructor was a giant frog. Yes, a frog. I had been getting used to all the talking creatures, but seeing a giant frog in breeches and a little black helmet astride a tall Stallion made me burst out with a laugh that I had to bite the side of my mouth to stop.

My lesson had actually gone very well so far. After I saddled up Aurora, who was very sweet, we started off with a walk that turned into a brisk trot. I was a little confused at first, because my instructor, Clive, was using terms similar to English riding. Luckily I understood what the Western equivalent was, so I didn’t mess up too much. If my instructor realized anything was off, he didn’t let on.

Clive rode towards me. “Now, Princess,” he began, clutching his riding crop, “We shall take a quick break, so you can grab some water, and then we will review our dressage.”

My eyes widened a little bit, but I managed to nod. I dismounted and walked Aurora to the paddock, tying her rope to the gate. Kissing her nose, I whispered, “I’ll be right back.”

I walked inside the stable and went to the break area, grabbing a glass to fill with water. As I took a deep breath to calm my nerves about dressage, I had a sudden thought. I wondered if I would see Cesar around the stables sometime while I was here, since he either owned a horse or at least rode, based on what I saw a couple days before.

Suddenly, Kip flew into the room. “Princess,” he said in a rush, “I have just the thing to help you for your lesson!” With a flourish, he produced what looked like a tiny jewel.

Taking it from him, I gave him a confused look.

“It fits inside your ear,” he explained, “And I will give you tips as you ride.” He lifted what looked like a quill. “Allow me to demonstrate.” He held the quill upright as if he was writing, the feather tip close to his chin. Then he motioned for me to put the little object in my ear. “Give the reigns a tug to the right,” he whispered.

I heard it loud and clear in my ear. “Wow, Kip, that’s amazing, it’s like a BlueTooth!”

Kip looked at me blankly. “A blue what?”

I shook my head quickly, smiling. “Nevermind. This is a great idea!”

Kip smiled shyly. “I hope it works!”

  
* * *

That night, at the banquet for the Queen’s return, I found myself staring at my plate of food halfway through. My horseback riding lesson had gone great, thanks to Kip’s help, and so had my other studies. Now I was at dinner, poking at my plate of pasta. It was a small dinner, with my “mother” and “father,” and two of the princes who were staying in the castle, of which I only found out about tonight, since apparently they had been dining elsewhere these past few evenings, Klaus and Luciano. Liam apparently was also staying in the castle, in the West Wing, but was unable to join us. I wasn’t sure where the other princes were staying, but I wasn’t about to give myself away by asking.

For the first part of dinner, the King was doing most of the talking, asking both princes about their kingdoms, seeming to know Klaus’ family and kingdom pretty well. When Klaus talked to me, he was very friendly and polite, but Luciano...was shall we say, different? He wasn’t rude or anything, just a bit...spacey. It was sort of cute, really. He was similar to Lucas back home, but not nearly as comfortable with me as my friend was, I guess because we were basically strangers. When I had attempted to make conversation with him, he would sometimes stare at me for a few seconds before responding. And, when I’d tried to make a joke, he didn’t seem to understand for a few moments, furrowing his brows together, before it suddenly dawned on him. Then his laughter lit up his eyes, and he’d told me I was very witty.

At the moment, the King was deep in conversation with Klaus. I glanced at Luciano, who looked up from his own plate and shared a look with me before dropping his gaze to his food again. I smiled. If I needed to be partners with someone else, maybe Luciano would be a good pick. He seemed nice enough.

“So, Luciano,” I began, delicately twirling the pasta on my plate with my fork, “Have you chosen a partner for the Ball yet?”

I noticed out of the corner of my eye the Queen look up and smile at me. Oh, dear, I had an audience. Well, maybe that was a good thing. He couldn’t exactly reject me when the King and Queen were right there, right?

Luciano cleared his throat and reached for a piece of bread from the basket in front of him. “Oh, I’m not entering the competition.”

My eyes widened. “O-oh?” I stammered.

“Nonsense,” The Queen, who was seated beside me spoke up with an encouraging smile. “You simply _must_ enter! We all want to see what the Prince of the Garadium Kingdom can do!”

I held my breath, noticing that the King and Klaus had stopped their conversation abruptly to listen.

Luciano looked a bit nervous but stuck to his ground. “My apologies, but that will be impossible. I don’t dance anymore.”

His tone seemed so final I decided not to press it. Klaus, however, spoke up. “Come now, Luciano,” he patted him on the back, “Certainly Princess Elizabeth can change your mind! I’m sure she’s a beautiful dancer!”

I glanced at him, surprised. He grinned at me and winked. I felt myself flush.

“I’m very sorry,” Luciano continued stubbornly, “But I will be in the audience, watching with rapt attention.”

The King sighed. “Well, I suppose there’s no helping it then.” He glanced around the table. “Are we ready for dessert?”

As the servants cleared away our dinner plates, the Queen reached for a lock of my hair and began twirling it in her fingers. “And, my lovely girl, is there any one Prince that you would like for your partner?”

I looked at her. It was strange, and yet comforting how much she looked like my own mother. The only difference, I noticed, was that her hair was reddish brown instead of the deep chocolate my own mother’s was. Because of the striking similarity, I felt comfortable sharing my feelings with her. “Well, I was hoping to dance with Prince Cesar, but he already has a partner.”

“Hm...” she mused, tucking the hair behind my ears. “But I am sure you will be asked by someone else soon. Don’t lose hope, my darling.”

I smiled and nodded. “I’m excited, at least, because Cesar and I have a lunch date tomorrow!”

The Queen’s lips spread into a smile, her eyes twinkling. “That is wonderful. He is a rather dashing young man.”

I blushed, then turned my gaze across the table. Klaus had been staring at me with an odd look on his face, but quickly dropped his eyes to the dessert being placed in front of him when I caught his gaze.

_What’s that about?_ I wondered. However, I forgot about it the moment I took a bite of the delicious chocolate fudge cake that had arrived. I began to think yet again about my date tomorrow. I couldn’t wait.

_To be Continued..._


	6. ~Dancing by the Seashore~

I bit my lip, carefully looking over the dress and shoes I had laid out the night before. Already dressed for my dance lesson, which I would have to leave for in just a few short minutes, I spent a long time the night before picking out my outfit for my date with Cesar. Since he was meeting me at noon, and my writing and rhetoric lesson was right before, I figured it would be better to be prepared. I carefully did my hair and makeup already; hopefully after class I could change quickly and would only have to freshen the rest of my appearance.

I sighed nervously and reached for my dark red handbag. I picked a purse that went well with my date outfit while not clashing with the spruce green dress I currently wore.

“Princess?” Kip popped his head into my bedroom. “We should get going now.”

I nodded, glancing one last time at the burgundy dress hanging over my wardrobe door.

* * *

As I walked into the dance studio, I noticed a young woman with blonde hair seated on the bench by the door. “Oh, hello Cynthia!” I greeted her.

She glanced up at me and smiled. “Hello, Elizabeth! How are you today?”

“I’m doing very well, thank you. Just here for my dance lesson with Tony.”

Cynthia rose to her feet. “Ah, I’m waiting for Tony as well. Just have a few things to sort out before the preliminary dance competition tomorrow.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the panicky feeling that had risen in my stomach at her words. I knew fully well that the preliminary contest was tomorrow, since both Kip and Tony had reminded me more than once. But I was still _so_ nervous. Tony had told me that if I didn’t have a partner by the first round, _he_ would dance with me. Since Cesar hadn’t worked out, I was certain that we would plan out our routine today.

Cynthia wrung her hands, glancing towards the back of the dance hall before looking at me once more. “I am so nervous,” she admitted with a shaky laugh. “I know that it’s just the preliminary round, and Klaus _is_ a wonderful lead, but...”

My eyes widened. _Cynthia_ was nervous? I’d seen her and Klaus dance the first night I was here, and yes, Klaus was excellent, but Cynthia had so much style and grace...she looked like she belonged on the stage.

“Oh, don’t be nervous, Cynthia,” I said with a smile. “You dance beautifully, I am sure you two will be wonderful!”

Cynthia looked embarrassed. “Oh, thank you Elizabeth. I am looking forward to see you dance!”

I bit my lip nervously. “Well, I still don’t have a partner, so I’m just dancing with Tony. I hope it’ll be okay...”

“Oh, a lot of people don’t have partners yet,” Cynthia surprised me by saying. “So don’t let that worry you. Lots of the contestants will be dancing with Tony.” Her face broke into an encouraging smile. “It _is_ still so early in the competition, people are still getting acquainted. If I didn’t have Klaus, I know I wouldn’t have a partner yet either.”

 _Cynthia is so nice!_ I thought to myself. She really was easy to talk to, and seemed very sincere. “Really?” I breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s reassuring. And it’s true, I haven’t gotten to know anyone very well...” I paused, not sure if I wanted to share this next piece of information with her, but then decided it was safe, “Except for Prince Cesar. But he already has a partner, unfortunately.”

Cynthia’s eyes crinkled with sympathy. “Well, I _do_ know that Prince Kiefer and Prince Vincent don’t have anyone yet...” Cynthia trailed off, peering at me curiously. “What is it?” she asked with a laugh.

I furrowed my brow, then realized I must have made a face when she mentioned Vince. “Oh! Oh, no, sorry, it’s just Vince. He–I guess he rubs me the wrong way? So the thought of dancing with him is just...”

Cynthia nodded knowingly. “He seems rather immature.”

 _You have no idea_ , I thought. “Yeah, you could say that,” I replied, giggling.

“Oh!” Cynthia snapped her fingers as if an idea came to her. “Prince Luciano doesn’t have a partner!”

“Oh,” I began, remembering what he’d told me the night before, “I guess he isn’t entering the competition.”

Cynthia looked taken aback. “What? But–but then--”

“Why is he here?” I supplied with a wry smile.

“Exactly!” Cynthia burst out. “I just–I don’t understand–why would you come all this way...”

“I know, right?” I said, my voice rising excitedly. “He told me ‘I don’t dance anymore.’ The–um, my parents were really surprised. I think they were thinking just what we were.”

Cynthia slowly shook her head and blew out a breath. “He seems rather strange, doesn’t he?”

I nodded my agreement. “Yeah! But...”

“But in kind of a cute way,” Cynthia said with a giggle. Then she looked sheepish, glancing around. “Don’t tell Klaus I said that,” she whispered, unable to keep a straight face.

I laughed with her. “I won’t, I promise.”

“Lady Cynthia?” Tony’s deep voice interrupted our gossip session.

“Oh, yes, Tony, I wanted to ask if Klaus and I could squeeze in an additional practice session before the preliminary tomorrow,” Cynthia asked.

Tony smiled and nodded. “Certainly. Would 7 this evening work?”

Cynthia nodded. “That would be perfect! Thank you so much, Tony.” She turned to me. “It was lovely running into you, Elizabeth. Good luck tomorrow!”

I grinned. “You, too! See you then!” _Maybe we could hang out sometime!_ I thought. _I really miss Catherine, and Cynthia is super nice_. As she left, I turned to Tony. “Good morning, Tony,” I began, feeling awkward. “Since I still don’t have a partner...”

“Let us work on a routine for tomorrow then,” Tony finished with a kindly smile.

I nodded, feeling grateful. “Sounds good.”

As we walked to the practice floor, Tony said, “Today I think we should expand on the Foxtrot. I think if we practice enough, we should have a solid routine for tomorrow.”

He turned and clapped for the phonograph to start playing the music. “First, a quick review.”

We assumed closed position and counted out the beats.

“That’s it. Quick, quick, slow. Quick, quick, slow.” After practicing the basic Foxtrot, Tony changed the variation. “Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. Hesitate.”

I found that I liked that pattern better. After we had circled the large dance room a few times, Tony lightly tapped my shoulder, signaling that he wanted me to stop.

“Excellent Princess,” he said, stepping away from me. “I think you are ready to learn an advanced pattern of the Foxtrot which is called the “Twinkle.”

I bit my lip to hide my laugh. What a cute name for a dance!

“Now, the Twinkle,” Tony continued, not seeming to notice my reaction, “Is very simple, and actually quite similar to a box step in a Waltz. It goes like this.” He took my hand again and we re-assumed closed position. Taking a step forward and cuing me to take one back, he counted “Slow, quick, quick, quick,” I stared down as we formed a box with our feet. It was really similar to the Waltz!

After we practiced that routine for several minutes, Tony paused again. “Very good Princess,” He said approvingly. “Now let us try something called a “Promenade.” This goes along with the Twinkle, and has the same counts, though instead of traveling in a circle, we will travel towards the center of the room. We move to an open position...”

Tony tapped my shoulder and we shifted slightly, my left hip touching his right. “And we each step forward this time, making our way to the center.”

As we tried it, I fumbled a bit, almost stepping on Tony’s foot. “Oh, I’m sorry!” I exclaimed as I stumbled.

Tony chuckled. “It is perfectly all right, Your Highness. This step takes much getting used to, and I’m afraid it is going to get a bit more complicated. The promenade transitions from a closed position to an open, and then it will be closed again,” Tony demonstrated, “For the ‘quick, quick’ steps. But to make it a continuous Twinkle, so that the dance won’t end abruptly, we can continue to Promenade like so...”

My head began to spin as Tony demonstrated the Reverse Twinkle Promenade, which consisted of standing side to side for the slow step, then holding right and left hands and swinging your free arms out for the last two counts. To repeat the move you turned around and joined hands again, moving in the opposite direction. This could be combined with the box step Twinkle and the rest of the Foxtrot combinations for any choreography you wanted.

It took me several tries before I was able to Reverse Promenade without over-stepping and ramming into Tony. Once I got the hang of it, though, I loved the swinging steps it involved.

“Splendid, Your Highness!” Tony declared after we’d practiced for a long while. “Let us now choreograph our routine for tomorrow. Judging by how well you’ve taken to the Twinkle, I suggest we do the Foxtrot. Would you be comfortable with including the Reverse Promenade? I think if we had that we would have a strong dance.”

I smiled and nodded. “It will be fun! Let’s do it!”

* * *

Looking in the mirror, I chewed my lip nervously as I adjusted my headband for what was probably the fiftieth time. I had been so focused on memorizing the choreography for the preliminary competition tomorrow that I had forgotten all about my date during dance practice and even my math class. But during my writing and rhetoric lesson I remembered, and hadn’t been able to concentrate. _I hope everything goes well and I don’t come off like an idiot_ , I thought nervously. As I brushed a stray bang from my face, I noticed that my lipstick was now half-on, half-off. I grimaced and saw a dark red stain on my teeth. “Argh!” _That’s what I get for gnawing on my lips,_ I thought crankily. I reached for a tissue and wiped furiously at my lips, then brushed my teeth.

Finally I carefully re-applied lipstick, blotting it with a tissue to avoid it rubbing off. I decided to take the tube with me, just in case. Sighing, I did a once-over one more time, before looking at my watch. If I didn’t go right then, I would be late. _Luckily Cesar is meeting me just outside the castle,_ I thought. _Otherwise I’d risk getting terribly lost._

I grabbed my purse and headed out of my bedroom, down the hallway, and descended the grand staircase. “Good afternoon, Your Highness,” The dog palace guard greeted me as I exited the main doors.

I turned to face him and curtsied. “Good afternoon!”

“Good afternoon, Elizabeth.”

My heart began to pound at the new voice, and I turned and saw Cesar standing there with a sheepish grin. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, I just got here.”

I smiled and laughed. “Oh, no, it’s fine.” I could feel my cheeks heating up as I took him in–he looked especially handsome in a grey dress shirt and black pants. I dropped my gaze, not wanting to stare.

“Oh,” Cesar said, looking as if he’d just remembered something. I then noticed that he had one hand behind his back. “I almost forgot! This is for you.”

He brought his hand around and I saw it was holding one of the most beautiful roses I had ever seen. Its thick green stem had been clipped of thorns, and it had full, pale pink and yellow petals. “Oh!” I breathed, taking it from him carefully. “Cesar,” I said softly, raising my eyes to meet his, “It’s so beautiful! Thank you.” I glanced down as I lightly rubbed the soft petals with my fingers. “How did you know roses are my favorite?” I asked with a laugh, remembering the long-stemmed red rose he had given me my first night in the Flower Kingdom.

Cesar smiled and shrugged. “I just saw it and thought of you. A rose for a rose.”

I crinkled my brow and laughed, not sure if I could take his compliment seriously. Looking into his hazel eyes, though, I saw nothing but sweetness and sincerity. Suddenly I realized he was starting to look a bit nervous, (maybe afraid I’d thought what he’d said was stupid?) so I smiled and said, “That’s really sweet of you, Cesar.”

Cesar seemed relieved. “Well, then, Elizabeth, where would you like to have lunch?”

I froze. I had _no idea_ where any restaurants were, and this was supposed to be _my kingdom_. Cesar was bound to notice, and if he noticed, that meant others would surely figure it out, too! My cover would be blown, and then what would happen? Could I get thrown in the dungeon for impersonating the Princess, even if it was her idea in the first place? _Calm down_ , I told myself, taking a deep breath, praying Cesar didn’t notice. “Oh, well, I’m not really particular, so...” I wracked my brain, trying to remember if I had seen any restaurants in Samba Square. There had to be some, right?

“...Do you like seafood?” Cesar suddenly asked, breaking the pensive flow of my thoughts. “Because when I was at the wharf the other day, I saw a little restaurant that looked nice.”

I sighed with relief. “I love seafood, that sounds perfect.” _I’m so glad he suddenly thought of that_ , I mused.

“Shall we be off then?” He asked with a smile, offering me his arm.

I blushed, shyly taking his arm with the hand that wasn’t holding the rose. I had only ever seen guys offer girls their arms in old movies!

As we walked along, I was at first nervous in matching my pace to his since our arms were linked. After a minute or two, though, I relaxed. _This isn’t hard at all_ , I mused, glancing down at the hand that grasped his arm. _In fact, this is really nice._

It got even nicer when Cesar put his free hand on top of the hand I was holding his arm with and smiled at me. “How has your day been so far?”

Ignoring the flutter in my chest, I replied, “Good. Tony has been teaching me the Foxtrot, and today I learned a lot–the Twinkle, the Promenade, Reverse Promenade...”

Cesar grinned. “The Foxtrot is my favorite dance.”

“Really?” I asked with a smile.

“It’s a lot of fun. And...well, besides the Waltz, it’s the only dance that I can actually do okay,” he admitted.

“What?” I asked incredulously, leaning back slightly to look at him. “But you’re a great dancer!”

Cesar looked embarrassed. “Well, thank you, but really, I don’t know all that much. The Foxtrot and the Waltz are very similar, and aren’t took difficult. Plus, you can do a lot with them when you add in the variations.”

“Yeah!” I agreed. “That’s what Tony was saying, and I noticed that today when we were working on our piece for tomorrow. We’re going to Foxtrot.”

“I can’t wait to see it!” Cesar said enthusiastically, causing me to blush.

I ducked my head, feeling embarrassed, yet flattered. “What are you and your partner going to do?”

Something I couldn’t figure out flickered across Cesar’s face when I asked that, and he was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed. “The Samba.”

“Samba?” I repeated. I’d seen that dance on TV before. It was fun, light, full of rhythm and bounce...and it always looked kind of hard. I was impressed. “Wow! That sounds fun!”

Cesar laughed dryly. “It–it’s not,” he began, slowing his steps. “I honestly don’t know if we’ll be ready for tomorrow. A basic Samba is actually pretty easy, but our dance has a lot of advanced footwork, twists, and dips. And it is kind of long, especially for the preliminaries.” He shook his head. “I’m very nervous that we won’t be able to remember it all.”

I crinkled my brow. “Can’t you cut some of the harder steps out then, and make it shorter?”

Sighing, Cesar ran his free hand through his hair. “I want to. Tony even advised that we do at practice this morning. But Adriana is insisting that we go with this choreography–she came up with the whole thing. I barely knew how to Samba before we started–I just don’t think we’re ready...”

My heart sank. Cesar seemed really troubled by this. I squeezed his arm. “I’m sure you’ll be great,” I whispered, trying to be comfort him. “You’re a wonderful lead! Besides, it’s only the preliminary contest! I’m really nervous, too...”

Cesar glanced at me and smiled. “You have nothing to worry about.”

I smiled back sincerely. “Neither do you.”

Cesar squeezed my hand and we continued walking. “Both of us will be fine tomorrow.”

I nodded. “How has _your_ day been so far?” I asked. “Besides the dance lesson, I mean?”

Cesar took a deep breath. “Well, I had history and botany lessons this morning with the tutor, and then I went riding. I took the shoreline trail.”

“You like horses?” I asked him. “I remember now that I saw you with a horse the other day...”

He grinned and nodded. “I do. Riding really relaxes me, you know? I actually brought my horse with me. I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her for several weeks,” he admitted with a sheepish shrug. “Kind of stupid...” he muttered.

“No!” I protested. “I would do the exact same thing! I’m sure she would have been lonely without you. Does she like it here?”

Cesar laughed. “She has taken to your kingdom very well. She especially likes to munch in the apple orchards.” He watched me thoughtfully, then slowly broke into a smile. “You like horses too, I take it?”

I nodded enthusiastically. “I love them! They are so wonderful and intelligent, and they can really understand you, you know? In a way sometimes people can’t...” I trailed off, feeling embarrassed for babbling.

But Cesar just nodded, his eyes shining. “Exactly! Horses are so magnificent.” Then he snapped his fingers. “We should go riding together! That would be so much fun!”

I bit my lip, excited that he wanted to spend more time with me. And riding together _would_ be wonderful. The kingdom was so beautiful, there were bound to be all sorts of breathtaking trails. I had never had the chance to ride outside of a ring before! Then I felt nervous. Cesar was clearly a far more advanced rider than I was. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, or get myself or Aurora hurt. “That would be great! Um, but I’m afraid I’m not that advanced of a rider, so I don’t want to hold you back or anything...”

“If you were to accompany me, it would be nothing short of wonderful,” he whispered.

I blushed, ducking my head shyly. “I would love to.” Then I glanced back up and took in our surroundings. The salt air, the blue surf hitting the sand...“Oh, look we’re here!”

Cesar led me to an adorable restaurant that was decorated with seashells and paintings of the ocean and marine life. The weather was so nice and the air smelled so good that we chose a table on the large outdoor patio.

I reached for my chair, but Cesar stepped forward. “Oh, please, allow me,” he said, and proceeded to pull it out for me.

“Why, thank you,” I said with a giggle before sitting down. I pulled the napkin out of its starfish-shaped ring and laid it on my lap as daintily as I could.

After the waiter (a five-foot tall lobster in a full tuxedo!) took our orders, I glanced around. “I really like it here,” I said with a content sigh, trying not to look too obvious as I took in the scenery that I had only seen briefly once before.

Cesar smiled and glanced around. “So do I. I feel really at home near the ocean.”

I thought back to my first night in the castle, remembering that Kip had told me Cesar was from the Marées Kingdom. Hopefully Cesar hadn’t talked too much about this with the real Princess... “Oh, yes, isn’t your kingdom by the sea?” I asked, hoping that I’d guessed right. Marées _did_ mean “tides,” I was pretty sure.

Taking a sip of water, Cesar nodded. “Yes. It’s actually a small island. It’s really beautiful, with crystal water, dolphins and seals leaping out of the sea right outside your window! Our kingdom is also well-known for its ships. We build some of the finest vessels around, ones that will stay afloat in the toughest storm while still equipped with the most state of the art accommodations.” He smiled shyly. “One of my father’s ships even has a small stable aboard, that’s how I was able to bring my horse with me.”

I rested my chin in my hand. “That sounds amazing!” I paused and frowned, thinking. “Wait–you said _one_ of your father’s ships–just out of curiosity, how many does your family have?”

Cesar raised his eyebrows and thought for a moment. “Goodness, I’m not sure,” he muttered. “We have quite a few. There are small ones for pleasure sailing and racing, and then rather large ones for transporting cargo, and then some average sized for quests.” Seeing my surprised look, he smiled. “I’ve been on quite a few adventures with my father.” Then his eyes clouded, and he looked away, staring out at the choppy waves. “My whole family is...adventurous...” he whispered softly, suddenly seeming very sad.

My heart sank. What had caused his sudden change in mood? Before I could ask what was wrong, music started up on the patio. Cesar lifted his face curiously, looking around. A few couples at the nearby tables had risen to their feet and began dancing in the center of the patio.

Cesar’s glum featured brightened, and he glanced at me and grinned. “May I have this dance?” he asked, extending a hand to me.

I stared at him in surprise, glad to see that he seemed to feel better but still a bit nervous at the thought of dancing in public. “In front of everyone?” I whispered.

He shrugged. “Why not? It’s not as if we’re the only ones who will be dancing. Besides,” he added, “It will be good practice for tomorrow, for both of us.” Seeing my hesitant look, he coaxed with a teasing smile, “C’mon, it’s a Foxtrot...”

I closed my eyes with a laugh, giving in. “Oh, okay, fine.” I took his offered hand and rose to my feet.

Cesar led me by the hand to an open space in the courtyard, and we assumed closed position. He paused, listening carefully to the beat of the music. “Let’s try slow, slow, quick, quick, slow, hesitate?” He murmured to me.

I smiled and nodded. “Got it!” I found myself tapping out the beat on Cesar’s shoulder with my fingers.

He flashed a dazzling smile. “That’s it! Here we go!”

We traveled across the patio effortlessly to the music. I found myself grinning as I glanced around. Ballroom dancing was so thrilling and fun, and with Cesar as a lead it was so easy! I noticed some people at a nearby table watching us as we glided by, and I actually felt proud! I knew we were doing a good job, so my embarrassment disappeared.

At Cesar’s signal, we began a continuous Twinkle, and I found myself grinning. _I love this step, it’s so fun!_

Cesar smiled down at me, then brought his face down to my ear and whispered, “We make the perfect team.”

My pulse quickened as his breathe tickled the side of my face, and I felt myself smile. Then my heart sank as my thoughts darkened. Cesar at least had a partner. My mind began to race as I wondered who I could partner with. _I’m the hostess and yet all the princes are getting taken! How can I keep my promise to the princess if I don’t enter the final competition? Without a partner, a real partner, not my dance instructor, won’t I be disqualified? And...I love dancing with Cesar...but he won’t be my partner...I’ll have to stand on the sidelines and watch him dance with someone else.._.I quickly shook my head, trying to rid myself of my heavy thoughts and just enjoy this dance. I didn’t want to come off as whiney. It wasn’t Cesar’s fault. It wasn’t even mine. It was the real princess’. _What did she have to go and turn Cesar down for anyway?_ I thought bitterly. _Don’t think about that_ , I quickly scolded myself. _There’s still a few weeks ‘til the final competition. You have plenty of time to find a partner._

Soon enough the music ended, and Cesar led me back to our table. All during lunch we talked. I asked him about his interests, his kingdom and how he was enjoying his stay; and Cesar in turn asking me about my hobbies and life. I tried to respond honestly without letting my secret slip. I wanted Cesar to know the real me, and yet not find out who I really was. It was a fine line, but he didn’t seem to think anything was off, which I took as a good sign. _He probably doesn’t know the real princess all that well,_ I reasoned. Cesar was so easy to talk to, and so nice...

After we had finished lunch, Cesar glanced out towards the beach, then at me. “Would you be interested in taking a walk, Elizabeth?”

I smiled and nodded. “I would love to!”

We strolled leisurely down the wharf, descending the wooden steps towards the inviting golden-white sands of Rumba beach. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the crisp ocean breeze and the slight mist of water in my face.

“Everything I’ve seen so far in your kingdom is beautiful,” Cesar commented.

I tucked a strand of hair that had escaped my headband behind my ear. “Thank you,” I replied. Suddenly I heard a loud splash. Turning my head to look out at the waves, I saw a grey figure leap out of the water. “Is that a dolphin?” I breathed, slowly walking towards the water til I was practically standing in the tide. When the shape re-surfaced and did another spectacular leap, I laughed. “It is!” I turned to Cesar. “Oh, isn’t it pretty?”

“It sure is,” Cesar said, staring down into my face with a small smile.

Suddenly the wind picked up and blew my bangs haywire, blocking my vision. I tried to fix them without poking myself in the eye with the rose Cesar had given me that I was still carrying, when I felt his hand on my face. “Here, allow me,” he said, carefully brushing my bangs aside with his fingers.

I felt my cheeks grow warm. “Th-thanks,” I managed to say.

His hazel eyes were staring into mine intensely. “Elizabeth, I...”

“Yoo-hoo! Oh, Cesar!”

I felt myself jump at the sudden foreign voice calling out to Cesar. I saw him look at someone behind me, his eyes widening before he blew a frustrated sigh out under his breath. “Oh, not now...” he muttered so quietly that if I hadn’t been just inches from his face I surely wouldn’t have heard it.

I looked at him curiously before turning around to see a young woman in a frilly orange dress approaching us. Princess Adriana. I glanced back at Cesar, who gave me a small, frustrated smile in reply. I noticed with surprise and delight that he still hadn’t stepped away from me, or removed his hand from the side of my face.

The moment was over all too soon, however, when Adriana reached us. Cesar took a step back from me and gave her a tiny bow. “Good afternoon, Princess Adriana,” he greeted her. I noticed that he didn’t seem all that pleased to see her.

Adriana brushed a lock of her long, red-gold hair over her shoulder. “Good afternoon, Cesar,” she said. I noticed with a pang of jealousy how she practically cooed his name. At least Cesar didn’t appear to reciprocate the feeling.

Then she turned her attention to me. “Well, hello, Princess Elizabeth,” she said, lifting her eyebrows as if she was shocked to see me. This _was_ supposed to be my kingdom, after all. Maybe it was seeing me with Cesar?

I curtsied in reply. “Good afternoon, Princess Adriana. How are you today?”

“Oh, I’m splendid, thank you,” Adriana said. “I’m just so excited for tomorrow’s competition, aren’t you?” Before I could reply, she went on, narrowing her heavily lined eyes slyly, “Just who _are_ you dancing with, by the way?”

“W-well, I...” I stammered, ashamed that she had caught me off-guard, “I’ll just be dancing with Tony this time around,” I was frustrated to have to admit.

“Ohhh,” Adriana sighed in what I supposed was sympathy, but if you asked me it sounded rather fake. “What a shame. Well, I suppose it won’t matter too much for this little old contest, right? I’m sure no one will take _too_ much notice, will they? As for me, I just knew I had to choose Cesar, because he’s clearly the best dancer here, and I don’t want to look bad with someone not up to my potential...don’t want to shame my kingdom, after all.” Then she clucked her tongue and looked me up and down, as if she saw something she didn’t approve of. The nerve! “Though I guess that’s not _all_ that counts, I mean, it doesn’t _really_ matter if you mess up, right, Princess Elizabeth?”

I bristled in spite of trying to keep my cool and felt my face grow hot. _Of all the witchy_ –Suddenly I felt an arm slide around my waist, and I glanced up to see Cesar give me a reassuring smile before casting Adriana a rather cold glance. “Elizabeth won’t be anything less than stunning on the stage tomorrow. Let’s just hope we can keep up with her, right Adriana?”

“Oh, of course,” she replied with a little laugh. “I’m sure you and Tony will be just fine. Practice makes perfect, right?”

I inhaled sharply, unable to believe how rude this princess was being. I knew she was just trying to get to me, so I bit my lip to keep from voicing the rather nasty retort that was forming on my tongue.

Cesar took a step backwards, and since his arm was still around my waist, so did I. “Well, it was nice seeing you, and I will be sure to come early tomorrow to get in another practice round. However, Elizabeth and I were in the middle of a walk, so...”

Adriana’s gaze hardened as she took in Cesar’s arm around my waist, then glanced down at the rose I was holding, seeming to deduce that we were on a date. “Well, don’t make it look like you can’t bear to spend time with me,” she said snidely, “This competition _is_ all about creating good relations and all, but if you’re just going to hang around the Princess who’s sponsoring it...”

Cesar’s jaw stiffened, and he turned on his heel, gently guiding me to turn as well. “Good day.”

As we walked away from her, I noticed with a beating heart that his arm was still around my waist. When we were far enough away from her, I remarked under my breath, “Charming young lady.”

Cesar threw his head back and groaned. “I’m so sorry for the things she said, Elizabeth. I wish I didn’t have to associate with her.”

“Then why did you agree to be her partner?” I grumbled, staring down at the rose in my hands. Then my eyes widened when I realized I’d said that aloud. “I’m sorry, of course--”

Cesar chuckled darkly, apparently not offended by my question. “Oh believe me, she was much more pleasant when I met her and she asked me. I didn’t see the more _charming_ side of her personality until we had our first practice session and she snipped and corrected the entire time. Not to mention her ridiculous demands. I wish I could get out of it, but there is no way to refuse someone in this sort of situation, let alone quit on them once you’ve accepted.” He gave me a small smile. “I’d much rather dance with you.”

I smiled back, my cheeks growing warm. “Me, too. But I still need to find another partner, as Kip keeps reminding me. I have _no_ idea who to ask.”

“Maybe someone will ask you,” he said out of the blue.

My eyes widened. That didn’t seem likely to me. “You think so?” Then a horrible thought struck me. “I wouldn’t have to say yes to _anyone_ , would I?” Seeing his puzzled look, I explained with a laugh, “I refuse to dance with Vince. I have been the victim of his irritating practical jokes one time too many.”

Cesar stared at me for a minute before he burst out laughing. After he’d calmed himself, he replied, “I would recommend keeping your distance from him then, as he’ll probably ask you first chance he gets. There isn’t anyone who wouldn’t want to dance with you.”

I gave him a skeptical look. “That’s very sweet of you, but I doubt that it’s accurate.”

He studied me carefully, a small smile on his lips. He’d slowed his steps and I followed suit, the two of us still connected by his arm around my waist. “How can you be so oblivious to your talent?” He asked me, his voice barely above a whisper. “You were born to dance.”

 _Okay._ My heart was thudding in my chest and I was sure my face had turned five shades of red. How could he say such corny things and sound so...sincere? I normally would scoff if a guy said something that...sappy to me, but when Cesar said it, with his deep voice and his piercing hazel eyes, I not only fell for it, I _liked_ it. _Maybe because this isn’t my world anymore_ , I reasoned. _Maybe because in a fantastic world like this, with magic tiaras and princes and talking animals, it seems more realistic. Or maybe it’s just because I like Cesar..._

“I...” I stammered, not sure how to respond at all. “You...I...um, thanks,” I finally said lamely, dropping my eyes to the ground.

Cesar chuckled and bumped my shoulder with his playfully. “Everything will be fine,” he said as we resumed our stroll. “You–you’ll find a partner worthy of your talent. And I’ll cheer you on from the audience.”

I noticed that he sounded a bit wistful, which was exactly how I was feeling. “And I’ll cheer you on, too,” I told him sincerely. “Even though I don’t like Adriana, I know you’ll be wonderful out there tomorrow.”

Cesar grinned and nodded. As we walked along, I spotted a pretty seashell, swirls of greens, yellows and blues coating the shiny surface. As Cesar and I crouched in the sand to inspect it, I found myself thinking about the contest tomorrow.

I hoped I was ready.

_To be continued..._


End file.
